
A weak US position on the war in Ukraine will only embolden China. The West should not repeat the mistakes of the past, as dictators cannot be appeased.
Writing in The Telegraph, British MP Iain Duncan Smith says the biggest challenge for new US President Donald Trump will be dealing with a new axis of totalitarian states – North Korea, Russia, Iran, Myanmar and others led by China.
The politician noted that both Moscow and Beijing concluded that the West lacked leadership and perseverance when they saw the chaotic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan:
“It was this defeat that inspired Putin to invade Ukraine. The brutal war, dominated by Russian barbed wire, mines, and drones, has left hundreds of thousands dead and wounded. Even now, Ukrainian men and women are fighting for every inch of their precious land, paying for it with their lives.”
Smith said that in December 2023, he and conservatives arrived in Washington to discuss the delay in military aid to Ukraine. At that time, the congressmen told them that the US's top priorities right now were Israel and Taiwan. He replied that these three issues cannot be separated.
“The attack on Israel helped both Russia and China by diverting America’s attention from Ukraine and Taiwan. The delay in approving vital military supplies cost Ukraine dearly in lost territory. This axis suspected that Israel’s needs would outweigh Kyiv’s needs for the United States, which bought Russia time and isolated Ukraine at a critical moment,” he added.
The politician believes that Ukraine deserves more than a short-term settlement in which Putin is rewarded for his cruelty. In his opinion, Trump should recognize that Ukrainians are in a difficult situation due to weak Western leadership and appeasement by Russia and China:
“If Ukraine is forced to accept that Russia controls more than 20% of its territory as part of a settlement, then, like an echo of 1938, Putin will come back for the rest. And in China’s eyes, our weakness will mean that Taiwan will be next. I pray that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
Trump promises to end “all wars”
Recall that after the inauguration, the new American leader declared that the United States of America would be able to end all wars.
He previously said he was capable of stopping the war in Ukraine before returning to the White House, but now the “deadline” has increased. The politician did not reveal the details of his plan, but assured that the Kremlin ruler Putin already wants to meet with him to discuss ending the war.