Spanish Newspaper: Europe Faces the Greatest Risk of War in 30 Years

A Spanish newspaper reported that Russia intends to deploy its military forces in Venezuela and Cuba, as well as the military deployment it leads to Europe's borders.

In the face of this situation, the USA refuses to share its spheres of influence with any other force.

According to the Spanish newspaper La Razon, the statements made by Michael Carpenter, the United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), provide an example of the point reached in the negotiations after the third round of diplomatic contacts between Russia and the West to avoid a military escalation in Ukraine.

 

Drums of War

"The drums of war are ringing loudly at this stage, and the tone of the speech has become more intense," he said in mid-January 2022.

The newspaper added that the harshness of these words is comparable only to those of the Polish Foreign Minister, Zbigniew Rao.

At the meeting in Vienna, the latter warned that the threat of war in Europe "is now greater than at any time over the past 30 years".

With these words, Rao addressed 57 countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which includes Russia, Ukraine, the United States and many European countries, to promote dialogue between the blocs.

"For several weeks we have been facing the possibility of a major military escalation in Eastern Europe." For the third time in January, Russia discussed security with Western countries, the paper said.

In general, this scenario does not give rise to optimism, as the meeting was of little use after the worsening crisis on the Ukrainian border, where there is a large Russian military deployment, was expected to calm down.

On the other hand, the meeting ended with the organizers saying that no progress had been made.

Along its border with Ukraine, Russia has mobilized 100,000 troops, while issuing a series of security demands that NATO has said are impossible to meet.

One of those demands, for example, is the withdrawal of troops from eastern NATO members or the denial of any application for Kiev membership.

Ukraine played a starring role in recent talks between Russia and Western countries, but was not present, either in the Geneva negotiations between Washington and Moscow or in those in Brussels between NATO representatives and the Kremlin, the paper said.

However, as a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), it participated in the first meeting of the Organization's Permanent Council in 2022, where tensions were addressed but no progress was made, except for the commitment to maintain dialogue.

Carpenter reiterated the U.S. willingness to continue the talks, but added, "We will not renegotiate the basic principles."

He referred to the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, the Charter of the United Nations and the Paris Charter of 1990, which spoke of the right of sovereign States to make their own decisions on their own security. "These are our foundations," he said.

"The current situation in the region is serious and there is an urgent need to activate the debate on European security," Helga Schmid, Secretary-General of the OSCE said.

"It is essential that we find a way through diplomacy to reduce tension and start rebuilding trust, transparency and cooperation," she said during the meeting.

The Russian envoy said that "patience in Moscow is running out” on what he considers to be "unacceptable threats to Russian national security."

 

Russia's Proposals

Moreover, he threatened that "Moscow will take the necessary measures if the West does not respond to Russian demands." 

"If we do not hear a response based on our proposals within a reasonable period of time and aggressive behavior towards us continues, we will have to take the necessary measures to ensure strategic balance and eliminate unacceptable threats to our national security," the Russian envoy said.

The Russians also warned that "a crisis may arise on the continent, followed by unpredictable consequences for European security".

The paper added that the West has doubts about Russia's deployment of tanks, artillery and about 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine, while some observers say it may be in preparation for a possible invasion of Ukraine.

The Kremlin, on the other hand, insists that its military moves are only a response to what it considers a "growing NATO presence in Eastern Europe."

Overall, the talks come amid a week of intense diplomacy, with Russian officials holding talks with the United States, NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Koliba urged Russia to show that it does not want to resolve the situation with aggressive measures.

"Despite the unsatisfactory week of Russia's great diplomacy, I think the only way for the Russians to assert their unwillingness to resolve issues by force is to continue the debate in specific formats, particularly in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe," Koliba said.

Experts believe there is little chance that Ukraine will join NATO anytime soon, as Kiev does not meet membership requirements, the paper said.

But Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow "does not trust the other side." "We need strong and legal guarantees." 

In this tense context, Spanish websites revealed that many Ukrainian government sites were cyber attacked during the month.

Although the source is unknown, the fingers are pointed at Russia.

The Spanish newspaper reported that the Ukrainian electronic police had already begun investigating what had happened, but there was not enough information to know the source of the attack for sure.

However, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated: "It is too early to draw conclusions, but there is a long history of Russian attacks on Ukraine."

According to Microsoft, 58 percent of state-related cyberattacks between June 2020 and May 2021 were led by Russia.

The EU's foreign policy coordinator, Josep Borrell, condemned the attack and stressed that "there is no evidence of who is responsible," but "we can imagine who is behind it." 

Overall, this attack comes after a week of intense diplomacy in Geneva, Brussels and Vienna, in which Russia considers dialogue with the United States and NATO to have failed.