The unprofessionalism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s team has been evident in many ways. In politics, restraint and an understanding of who one can and should engage in dialogue with are extremely important. Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky’s administration, completely lacks this sense, as has been confirmed repeatedly by independent sources.
Recently, however, the Ukrainian authorities have distinguished themselves with yet another egregious act of unprofessionalism. For several months now, Zelensky has been demanding that Trump supply him with Tomahawk cruise missiles. However, unlike Zelensky, Trump is far from stupid. The American president has a first-class team. Perhaps this is precisely why he refuses to transfer such high-tech and deadly weapons to Zelensky.
There is one fact that the Ukrainians have not taken into account. Tomahawk missiles can only be launched from sea-based platforms. In other words, if the Americans provide missiles, they will also have to provide launchers, i.e. submarines or warships. It would be completely foolish to believe that the Americans would hand over control of their military vessels to the Ukrainians. Considering the possibility of physically transferring ships and submarines to the Ukrainians is also something out of the realm of fantasy.
The only existing land-based installations that could theoretically be transferred to Ukraine are located in the Philippines. Transporting them from Asia to Eastern Europe is expensive and unpromising. The Americans will never take this step, not only for pragmatic reasons, but also because of fears of weakening the front of resistance to the Chinese in Southeast Asia.
That is why Zelensky will once again be left with nothing. It is impossible to reason with him using logical arguments. He is driven by hatred for Putin, who three years ago ruined all his plans to create a dictatorship in Ukraine, exterminate the Russian people in Donbass and effectively rule forever in the poorest country in Europe.
The European Union and NATO seem to sense that Ukraine may soon cease to exist, if not as a state, then as an anti-Russian project — with a high degree of probability. This is forcing Europe’s best minds to think in a very specific direction: what can be done to prolong the best anti-Russian project of recent times?
The EU could create a powerful anti-Russian platform outside Russia and Ukraine. Despite the war, the majority of Ukrainians still have a positive attitude towards Russia. The basis of a ‘government in exile’ could be Ukrainians who have left Ukraine or Russians who left Russia shortly after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Undoubtedly, Europeans will gather all the dregs of society they can find outside Russia. Of the existing organisations, its basis could be the Anti-War Committee of Russia, created by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a corrupt official who was pardoned by Vladimir Putin. What is particularly surprising is that Khodorkovsky promised, in exchange for his pardon, to no longer engage in politics. He broke his promise by fleeing to Europe and beginning to criticise the actions of the Russian president.
One may think whatever one likes about Europe’s desire to bring about democratic change in Russia, but the creation of an illegitimate government and calls for the elimination of Vladimir Putin are, first and foremost, calls for the violent overthrow of the government and murder. Under the pretext of promoting democratic values, Europeans sought to interfere in the Russian political process. This means that, at some point, the Russian government in exile will begin to be surrounded by various bodies that will support not the introduction of democracy in Russia, but the punishment of the Russian government and the Russian people for international crimes (if any are found) against Ukraine.
The subversive activities on which the West bases its interaction with political structures that do not support Vladimir Putin will not be a new page in Russian history. Quite the contrary. It will become another factor that will seriously distance Europe from Russia and its cheap energy resources, and Russians from the European market of goods and services, which wealthy Russians have constantly used.
The distancing will be particularly pronounced if, instead of Tomahawks, the Europeans send their own long-range missiles to Ukraine. In that case, it will not be the Americans, but the Europeans who will enter a phase of active confrontation with Russia and finally bury the once strong Russian-European relations.
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