24 March 2022 20:55

Politics

How Trump was destroying NATO, and Putin continues genocide and lies: Foreign media digest as of March 24

Authors

Olexandra Zakharova , Ksenia Lisna

The Western media continue to report about the war in Ukraine: today, on March 24, the media covered the strengthening of the Alliance’s eastern flank and a new warning for China about helping Russia.

At the same time, the American media remembered how Donald Trump's policy almost led to the elimination of NATO as an organization, and how Joe Biden united and strengthened the alliance, in some way, due to Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Now the Alliance countries are pulling in troops to Ukraone’s neighboring countries and the Baltic states, warning Beijing to stop playing along with Moscow, and the Kremlin is lying maliciously about "recovering life" in the occupied territories. Meanwhile, The Hague calls for an investigation into the crimes of the bloodthirsty regime against the people of Ukraine as soon as possible.

Today marks exactly one month since February 24, when the invaders began to bomb Ukrainian cities.

offers an up-to-date review of what the European and American media are reporting, covering 29 days of active Russian invasion.

Biden resets NATO after Trump split

Photo: Getty Images

The New York Times reports that Joe Biden is reseting US relations with NATO after the Donald Trump years.

When Trump became US president in 2017, he sent shivers through NATO by explicitly refusing to endorse the alliance’s mutual defense pledge.

It was a moment of discord and division, sowed by a U.S. president who was openly disdainful of NATO’s collective responsibilities and more interested in "America First" than he was in global unity.

Five years later, President Biden arrived at the White House with a very different posture.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has drawn the 30 NATO nations closer together, and the Democrat president has used the crisis as an opportunity to do what Mr. Trump eventually did only reluctantly: firmly promise to defend any NATO ally that is attacked, the outlet reports.

Trump almost eliminated Alliance as organization

Photo: Getty Images

During his four years in office, Trump vented repeatedly about a longstanding NATO issue — the failure of some European countries to make good on their 2014 pledge to increase military spending gradually to 2 percent of economic output, with 20 percent of that spending on military equipment.

Trump has consistently scolded member countries for "chronic underpayments" for their defense.

By 2018, Mr. Trump’s anger about the financial contributions of other NATO members had grown so fierce that he told his top national security officials that he saw no point in being a member of the alliance.

Trump was destroying NATO, which was playing right into the hands of Putin.

The United States pulling out of NATO would have effectively destroyed the World War II-era organization, a result that Mr. Trump appeared to embrace, calling it a drain on America.

Eventually, it didn't end so badly: the USA never pulled out of the alliance, and some of Europe’s wealthiest countries did start spending more on defense. At the same time, the weakening of the bloc was playing right into the hands of Putin.

Now Biden can use the situation. Before leaving Washington for Brussels, he stated:

"The one thing I’m confident in, knowing Putin fairly well — as well as, I guess, another leader could know one another — is that he was counting on being able to split NATO."

According to him, NATO has never been stronger or more united in its entire history than it is today, in large part because of Vladimir Putin.

NATO countries gain ground on eastern front

Photo: Getty Images

The New York Times also reports that NATO is rapidly building its presence in Eastern Europe. For instance, even before NATO officials announced plans to increase the alliance’s military strength in Eastern Europe, the allies had already stepped up the number of troops stationed in the region.

In particular, about 40,000 troops are currently deployed under direct NATO command across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. That is a twofold increase since Russian troops entered Ukraine on Feb. 24.

The largest contingent is stationed in Poland, with 10,500 allied troops, on top of Poland’s 120,000 troops. The country’s battle group is led by the United States.

NATO has 30 members, 28 of them European. Across the alliance, NATO can count on nearly 3.5 million troops and other personnel. About 100,000 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Europe.

Alliance to send even more troops to Ukraine's borders

Photo: Getty Images

The BBC reports that Stoltenberg, during a press conference in Brussels, called Russia's invasion of Ukraine "the biggest security crisis in a generation."

According to him, the Alliance stands united to keep itself strong and "our people safe."

Nato has agreed to strengthen their defenses by moving 40,000 troops to its eastern flank in response to Russia's invasion.

NATO will deploy another 40,000 troops on the eastern flank.

Four new battlegroups will be sent to Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania

Stoltenberg said cyber defenses are being strengthened and Nato will also help Ukraine defend itself against "biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear threats."

According to him, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has changed our security environment and Nato is prepared for the "long haul.".

Kremlin's lie: "Liberated" cities are returning to normal life"

Photo: Getty Images

The Kremlin called British Prime Minister Boris Johnson the most active anti-Russian leader and said that London's approach would lead it to a dead end.

Meanwhile, Sky News quotes Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that Russia's invasion and genocide against the Ukrainian people, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation," is going according to plan.

This claim is refuted by most western analysts and governments, who largely say that Vladimir Putin's plan is in fact not going to plan.

Zakharova also claims that in those areas "liberated" by Russia, life is "returning to normal". However, as the outlet notes, it is unclear which areas she is referring to.

The Hague urges to support investigation of Russian crimes in Ukraine

Photo: Wikipedia

The Guardian quoted International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan as urging to act decisively.

He addressed a coalition of countries to back his war-crimes investigation in Ukraine, saying "things can get worse" if the international community fails to act now.

The Hague: If we do not step up now, history will not judge us well

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was speaking to a meeting including prosecutors and justice ministers from dozens of countries, who have offered the Hague court financial, military and legal assistance.

He called on nations to come together to hold accountable those responsible for atrocities, saying:

"If we do not collectively step up… things can get worse and history will not judge us well and victims around the world will not judge us well."

NATO warns China about any help to Russia

Photo: Getty Images

The Guardian reports that NATO leaders called on China to abstrain from supporting Russia's military actions. A joint statement following the NATO summit states:

"We call on all states, including China, to uphold the international order including the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, as enshrined in the UN Charter, to abstain from supporting Russia’s war effort in any way, and to refrain from any action that helps Russia circumvent sanctions.

NATO countries expressed concern by recent public comments by Beijing’s officials and call on China to cease amplifying the Kremlin’s false narratives, in particular on the war and on NATO, and to promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Oligarchs cannot help in influencing Putin

Photo: Getty Images

Reuters quoted the Kremlin as saying today that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich onle played an early role in peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.

Abramovich was asked by Ukraine to help mediate because of his background in Russia, where he made a fortune in the chaotic 1990s period of post-communist privatization.

He did take part at the initial stage, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Vladimir Putin, confirmed.

"Now the negotiations are between the two teams, the Russians and Ukrainians."

Some Russian businessmen say the West is naive if it thinks billionaires such as Abramovich can influence the Kremlin on questions of geopolitics.

The real powerbrokers of modern Russia, they say, are no longer the oligarchs who rose out of the ashes of the Soviet Union but a new generation of former spies with close ties to Putin.

Instead of an afterword. The strengthening of the NATO contingent on the eastern flank and the decision to help Kyiv defend itself against chemical and nuclear threats cannot but inspire hope. On Earth, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the territorial defense units protect the land from invaders with everything they’ve got, as well as in the air. But Ukraine needs to close the sky because the bloodthirsty Kremlin elite does not care about the lines of war crimes that they cross in an attempt to destroy our state as such.

Putin is in wrath because the Ukrainian cities, especially the eastern ones, do not obey him, while purges, layoffs and arrests have begun among Russia's top military echelon. Also, Ukrainian intelligence reported that Moscowia's oligarchs had even discussed the cost of ordering Putin’s assassination, and that he had replaced thousands of service personnel, from cooks to security guards, fearing betrayal.

All this, of course, testifies to the imminence of the collapse of the almost permanent dictator.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed in his thrilling speech to the countries of the Alliance that Ukraine has proved during this month of war that it meets NATO standards.

"Never, please, never tell us again that our army does not meet NATO standards." he said, calling for at least one percent of tanks and aircraft to be provided to Ukraine.

Ukraine has been defending its independence for exactly a month — 29 days in a row.