SPECULUM VERUM
-An interview with David T. Pyne’m, American military analyst, former Pentagon expert, currently a consultant for. foreign policy and security candidate in the Republican Party presidential primaries, Viveka Ramaswamy’s.
– What are the main points of your candidate's peace plan in the Republican primaries, how would you sum up this plan? Who is interested in it after its announcement?
– The author of the plan is Vivek Ramaswamy, who is on the list of voters of Polish descent 4 the 5 among the candidates - in the middle of the ranking, and was associated with the former vice president, Mike Pence’m.
The plan has been announced 2 June. It assumes signing a ceasefire with Russia – similar to the one during the war in Korea. The agreement would recognize the current division of the country and Russia's control over the occupied territories.
Work is underway on the final peace plan, which would normalize diplomatic and trade relations between Russia and the United States. The US would agree to the withdrawal of its troops and Western NATO forces from Eastern Europe in exchange for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Belarus. We would also sign an agreement on mutual security guarantees. We are working on it together with Vivek. The goal here is to end the Cold War between the United States and NATO and Russia.
There's really no reason, to maintain this hostility between NATO and Russia. Russia doesn't have any aggressive ones, offensive plans for the rest of Europe. The war in Ukraine was provoked by NATO and its expansionism reaching Eastern Europe to the former Soviet republics - Ukraine in particular. Vivek is fully convinced, that it is also in Ukraine's interest, to be able to keep 82% internationally recognized territory. Before the war, Ukraine was in control 88% this territory. These territories would be independent and would have the security guarantees of the United States, France and Great Britain. I think, that it would greatly contribute to international peace. Vivek Ramaswamy would offer Russia concessions in exchange for a Russian military alliance.
It's a big challenge and hard to say, whether it can be achieved. Minimum, what we can get, is to conclude a non-aggression agreement with Russia and to establish good relations between the United States and Russia and Russia with China. Then a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be unlikely, because it would put China at risk of war with the United States without Russian military support.
– How to convince President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian authorities to peace, when thousands of people have died in this war in recent years, as a result of strategic mistakes made by the Ukrainian side. Now it would be hard to explain to them, that they have to compromise with Russia. What idea would you have to convince the Ukrainians, especially the Ukrainian authorities?
– I suppose, that it is simple - the United States must stand before Ukraine and declare, that the plan is approved and implemented. We would also stop providing military aid to Ukraine. Without her, especially without financial aid, Ukraine could not continue the war. Russia made it clear who is to blame for the current situation at the beginning of March last year.
The Russians presented reasonable peace terms between March and September, when Vladimir Putin decided to annex four regions of Ukraine. I think he would prefer to occupy only the Donbass region. And have guarantees, that Ukraine will never join NATO. But unfortunately Joe Biden, Boris Johnson and Zelensky did not honor the deal, they abandoned this plan. There was still a shadow of a chance for an agreement in late March or early April. But the United States put pressure on Zelensky, to give up negotiations. And yet he would have obtained the withdrawal of Russian forces from close by 94% territory of Ukraine.
– What do you think?, why the current American establishment, as well as British, they are so opposed to any kind of compromise or diplomatic solution to the conflict? Outside of Biden's private interests, what is the real motive and argument of – as we call this option – the party of war?
“The Biden administration is full of analysts – people, who believe, that NATO has nothing to do with US national security. I completely disagree with that, I think, that NATO makes the United States and Europe less secure, because it provokes Russia to attack us. I think, that would be better, if we had good relations with Russia.
These analysts are antagonistic towards Russia and really demonize Putin. They created a propaganda caricature of it, who he really is. They say, that he is a murderer and a dictator, but it is also Zelensky. Zelensky is the killer of his political opponents, members of the Ukrainian parliament. And he does it brutally. It is inscribed in the Ukrainian "democracy"., since the war started, invoking the right to violence: Eleven opposition political parties were banned there and opposition television networks were shut down.
we believe, that the most important thing now is for us to implement a peaceful policy in relations with Russia, to end the Cold War between the United States and Russia, ensure peace and security in Europe by including Russia in Europe's collective security architecture.
- It is clear, that here, in Poland we are very afraid of being drawn into a war. Most recently, former Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen mentioned Poland and the three Baltic countries as these, that could intervene directly in Ukraine – without involving other NATO members. It's a bit of an odd offer, we think, that we are drawn into war. What do you think, is it possible, that the Biden administration will want to keep this war going? Is it possible, that the conflict will spread and other countries, including mine, Poland - will be drawn into it?
- I think, the probability of it increases, as long as the war lasts. It's becoming more and more possible, that everything will escalate to a level, in which all of NATO will be involved, including Poland and the Baltic States, which are frontline countries, face to face with Russia. Of course, this also applies to Romania, but above all it is about Poland and the Baltic states. This may even escalate to the level of a nuclear clash. And Putin can end this war very quickly, a few nuclear missiles aimed at Ukraine will suffice. It can also use these weapons against US military bases in Poland and the Baltic states. We don't want to take that risk. The creation of new US bases in Poland is not only provoking Russia, but it also destabilizes peace in Europe. And this is the peace we must strive for.
But you're absolutely right: Great Britain and the United States are trying to continue this war, to weaken Russia militarily, and it seems, that it has no end. They want to keep fighting to the last Ukrainian, at the expense of not only Russian losses, but also Ukrainian. One of the scary things recently revealed, there are reports sent by the Polish government, regarding the so-called. volunteer legions. It's about at least 12 thousand. Polish reservists, sent to fight Russia. It cannot be allowed to continue. The blood of our soldiers is too precious, our people's lives are at stake. This could escalate into a nuclear war, not only in NATO countries and in Eastern Europe, but also in the United States. That's why we need peace.
- Do you think, that the Polish authorities are an independent subject of international politics in this Ukrainian conflict, or rather they are used as a tool of the Americans?
– I used to really admire Polish leaders, but they became very pro-Ukrainian and pro-war towards Russia, and that is destabilizing. Currently, Polish leaders do not seem to support peace – as they would like, for the war with Russia to escalate. Of course, Zelensky's main goal is to draw NATO into the war and unleash World War III with Russia. How, that this is his only chance for Ukraine to regain control over the occupied territories.
I believe, that Poland is a very important part of this process, therefore, I see it rather as an important international player in this conflict on NATO's eastern flank. Poland is also an important force in Europe – along with Germany and Italy. These countries together are really able to change the situation and stand up for peace, if they are led by the right leaders.
An excerpt from the Polish-American anti-war debate available on the MyślPolskaTV YouTube channel.