A few points about Kuleba's unnoticed visit to Iraq

One reason being its own stockpiles of Soviet post-Soviet weapons. And even Ukrainian-made weapons, which Iraq has traditionally purchased. At the same time, there were no statements about weapons. Only a statement about Iraq's readiness to "mediate" in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia was released to the public.

I understand the logic of the Iraqis, because they have long maintained relations with both countries (and bought weapons from them), but it cannot be considered even a "mediator." Many have offered themselves in this capacity. Perhaps this "mediation itch" points to an obvious direction for Ukraine's external communications, as it reflects a fundamental misunderstanding by many global players of what exactly is going on in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

For many geographically (and mentally) distant countries, all this is just a "territorial dispute.” Two states cannot divide some territories among themselves. Sooner or later, they will get tired and somehow divide everything between them, and if you manage to be a "mediator" there, you will get a number of privileges for yourself. That's obviously how they think.

Yes, part of the world is still unwilling to recognize the existential nature of the war for Ukraine, because they simply cannot understand that in the 21st century there can be a state that simply wants to destroy another state. Why? Because it believes that it has a "historical right" to do so and 100,000 other invented "arguments."

“Part of the world is still unwilling to recognize the existential nature of the war for Ukraine, because they simply cannot understand that in the 21st century there can be a state that simply wants to destroy another state. Why? Because it believes that it has a "historical right" to do so and 100,000 other invented "arguments"

Accordingly, everything cannot end with a simple "redistribution." If we recall the year 2014, a similar fundamental error in the assessment of events struck the whole world. Back then, the world's leading players decided to turn a blind eye to the aggression against Ukraine, limiting themselves to symbolic sanctions. In fact, they gave Crimea to Putin "for life," hoping that he would "play around" and end his expansionism. In reality, this expansionism has only escalated and resulted in the largest war in Europe in the last 70 years.

Nowadays, there are many different proposals for "negotiations" in the world, and not all of their initiators are "old KGB agents.” Some of them just don't really understand. They do not understand that for any negotiations it is important that one side recognizes the existence of the other, and for the old Kremlin chauvinists it is impossible to recognize Ukraine, because this would mean the end of their imperialist hopes, and thus their end.

“There are many different proposals for "negotiations" in the world, and not all of their initiators are "old KGB agents.” Some of them just don't really understand”

Over the past decades, "abstract pacifism" has become something of value in the global political consciousness. Any "reconciliation" is "good." Even if you don't understand at all what happened before it, what has caused it, what consequences it will have. But such "abstract pacifism" often encounters concrete manifestations of cannibalistic ideology, with which it cannot do anything. Because a cannibal does not want to put up with others. He attacks others not because he has misunderstood someone, not because he is offended by someone, not because he wants to get something. He just wants to eat people. And this is an obvious fact that just needs to be accepted.

That's why the best "mediation" now is mediation between Ukraine and military aid.

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About the author. Petro Oleshchuk, political scientist.

The editorial staff do not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.