Will Eastern Europe become a battleground for Russia's war with US, NATO policies?

Pars Today- Kissinger warned before his death that Washington must quickly end the Ukraine crisis, otherwise the United States will lose its dominance in Eastern Europe.

Recent statements by Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, about the war in Ukraine indicate that the crisis is still escalating. According to Pars Today, Putin specifically warned Western countries that authorizing the use of long-range weapons by Ukraine means NATO's direct entry into the war with Russia.

 He emphasized that such an action could significantly change the nature of the conflict and force Moscow to make appropriate decisions.

Turning Europe into a battlefield

Mahmoud Shouri, deputy of the Institute for Iran and Eurasia Studies (IRAS) and a senior expert on Russian affairs, in an interview with the Iranian newspaper Qods, discussed Putin's warnings and Western decisions to arm Ukraine with long-range weapons. Shouri believes that any military action by Ukraine with these weapons could provoke Russia's reaction at a new level.

He points out that even the firing of a single missile could force Russia to use new weapons in fields beyond Ukraine.

Shouri adds that today, the slightest mistake by Kiev could provide the ground for a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, or in other words, 26 European countries, which would lead to the transformation of European soil into a battlefield.

He emphasizes Russia's sensitivity to this issue, saying:

Vladimir Putin has explicitly stated that such an action by the West means NATO's direct entry into the war with Russia.

He believes that this warning could be used as a criterion for increasing the level of conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

Shouri also raises the possibility of Moscow's response with short-range tactical nuclear weapons as a response to Ukraine's attack with Western long-range missiles, although it is still too early to speak accurately about this.

Kissinger's prediction is coming true

"Hanif Ghaffari", an expert on American affairs, referring to Putin's remarks and his views on the future of the war, believes that Putin used the phrase "change in the nature of the battle" in his recent speech, referring to Western interventions in providing long-range weapons to Ukraine.

He states that this action could turn the war between Moscow and Kiev into a war between Russia and NATO.

Ghaffari also refers to the disputes between NATO members in recent years over the sending of long-range weapons to Ukraine. Some NATO members, such as Greece, Spain, and Hungary, believe that the Ukraine crisis is out of NATO's control.

He emphasizes that NATO, by insisting on Ukraine's accession to this organization, has actually triggered the crisis in Eastern Europe and imposed a three-year war of attrition on Europe.

According to Ghaffari, the prediction of the late American strategist Henry Kissinger is coming true. Kissinger warned before his death that Washington must quickly end the Ukraine crisis, otherwise the United States would lose its dominance in Eastern Europe and incur unpredictable costs for the White House.

A war triggered by NATO

In response to the question of why the United States and Britain retreated from their decision to give Kiev a license after the Kremlin's position, Ghaffari said that although the Ukraine war apparently began with Russia's invasion, strategically, NATO triggered this conflict by expanding the organization to the east and provoking Russia.

The United States and Britain, by insisting on expanding NATO to the east, forced Moscow to react. But today, Washington and London have lost the ability to control this crisis, and the possibility of the war spreading to Europe has increased significantly.

The danger of the war spreading to Europe

European countries, including Moldova, the Netherlands, and Poland, are in a confrontational position with Russia and may become official battlegrounds in the future. Ghaffari points out that Europe, by playing blind in the American field, has put itself at risk of severe damage.

Europeans, by continuing these policies, have pushed the costs of the war towards themselves, and as long as they do not act as independent players in the security sphere, they cannot make wise decisions for survival in the international system.

MG/BK

Key phrases: Ukraine war, crisis in Eastern Europe, Russia-NATO war, war in Europe