THE invasion of Venezuela by the United States (USA) and the threats from Donald Trump against Colombia, Greenland and Mexico favor Russia’s military advance against Ukraine, assesses historian Francisco Carlos Teixeira da Silva.
“The US is very busy with what Marco Rubio [secretário do Departamento de Estado dos EUA] called, unfortunately, ‘their’ hemisphere. So, it is possible that this gives tactical authorization for Russia to eliminate the Ukrainian problem once and for all,” he said.
Ukraine suffered, last night, a broad Russian attack with drones and the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which can reach ten times the speed of sound and cannot be detected. This is the second time that Moscow has used this weapon in Ukraine.
For the professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the world is inaugurating a new world order where “every man for himself” in international relations.
The US gained power after the military attack on Venezuela, says historian Francisco Carlos Teixeira da Silva.- Photo: Reuters/Reproduction prohibited
“Trump empowered himself with what he did in Venezuela. It is very likely that he will start to act in other territories, such as Greenland. He also said that he can send land expeditions against Mexico. If Trump is resolving what he thinks is the US’s ‘backyard’, then Russia’s ‘backyard’ also has to be organized”, highlighted Silva.
At the end of last year, the US published a national security strategy document reaffirming Washington’s “prominence” in the Western Hemisphere, which encompasses South, Central and North America, which was interpreted as a message to China and other adversaries of the White House.
Europe cornered
Military and geopolitical analyst Robinson Farinazzo, a reserve officer in the Brazilian Navy, told Brazil Agency that Trump’s ambitions with Greenland place Europe in an even more delicate position.
“Trump wanting Greenland on one side and the Russians attacking on the other. With a sophisticated weapon like this [míssil Oreshnik]I think that some European leaders will have to think twice about what their next decisions will be. The big loser, of course, is Ukraine. But the second biggest loser in this war is Europe”, commented Farinazzo.
The Brazilian military adds that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) does not have the equipment to intercept Russia’s hypersonic missile. At the same time, the military alliance would be at risk with Trump’s threats to Greenland.
“Europe cannot fight on two fronts. If Trump takes Greenland without Europe’s attention, NATO is over. Furthermore, NATO is divided because Turkey has ambitions in the Middle East that contradict the policies of many of the organization’s leaders”, added Farinazzo.
For historian Francisco Carlos Teixeira da Silva, the hypersonic missile attack was a warning from Putin to Europewho has made it difficult to reach an agreement for the war in Ukraine and who was behind the attack on one of Putin’s residences.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian President – Photo: Reuters/Reproduction prohibited
“Ukraine would not have the means to reach Novgorod [cidade russa]much less Putin’s residence or the Murmansk base for Russian aviation. This is all done with military advisors, mainly British. And it is a way for Europe to say that it is at war and that Trump cannot negotiate alone with Putin”, he commented.
In the UFRJ professor’s assessment, the US should no longer try to stop Russia’s military advance in Ukraine.
“On the other hand, they will try to deter Russia in relation to the BRICS or through retaliations for the purchase of Russian oil, as they did with the Indiabut not because of Ukraine, but to get Russia out of the oil market,” he said.
Battlefield
The professor from Rio de Janeiro adds that Ukraine has been weakening every day on the battlefield, despite the spectacular actions it takes to try to show that it still has “tricks” up its sleeve to use.
“Between 20% and 25% of Ukrainian territory is occupied by Russian troops. Russia has advanced a lot. The most important thing is that Russia took the so-called Odessa Corridor, which is Ukraine’s grain outlet, the lungs of Ukraine,” he said.
The expert highlights that Russia’s victories are not usually reported. “There is a real news blockade regarding this. In large part, because these news agencies are American, French and German. So they don’t report this,” he added.
Military analyst Robinson Farinazzo considers that Russia will continue to invest on the battlefield because it does not trust European and North American negotiators, despite assessing that Moscow cannot take definitive and quick action to completely neutralize Kiev.
“The Russian objective is to completely neutralize the Ukrainian army, but Russia cannot make rapid advances in depth, or in breadth, because it will suffer many casualties. Ukrainian defensive systems are good, so they resort to a war of attrition. This war could still last a long time,” he said.
