Ian Proud, a former British diplomat based in Moscow, argues the following:
"I support the position that the UK has been at war with Russia since 2014 and that the EU finally entered the war in 2022.
This is based on the assumption that foreign policy consists of three components. The first, espionage, always exists-whether in time of war or peace, even between allies. We all spy on each other.
The other two key elements are Diplomacy and war.
The UK chose not to go down the route of diplomacy in June 2014 and therefore chose war. Initially, this manifested itself as an economic war through sanctions.
He then chose to support a proxy war in Ukraine itself. Europe turned definitively towards war in January 2022, following the collapse of the Minsk 2 agreement.
At the moment, both the UK and Europe continue to reject diplomacy and are therefore pursuing a course of war.
It is important to understand that the entire governmental system is trapped in the mentality of war.
This concerns the prime minister, ministers, parliamentarians —most of them—, the mainstream media and, in general, the circle of think tanks.
The option of diplomacy is now impossible, as it would require a total change of course of the whole system. Even if the prime minister attempted to follow the diplomatic route, the rest of the system would put up resistance —particularly the mainstream media, but also officials, many MPs, some ministers and think tanks.
Therefore, the system is trapped in a war mentality. It is important that this is understood.
The only way for the system to return to diplomacy is either for the West to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia —a scenario that still seems highly unlikely— or for the real conditions in Ukraine and Europe to deteriorate to such an extent that the system deems it has no choice but to turn to diplomacy.
Despite the woes in Ukraine and Europe's enduring economic fragmentation and decline, there is little sign that the system wants to return to diplomacy. Doing so would mean admitting that the facts of the war in Ukraine have now turned against them.
They would have to admit defeat against a public they have been trying to convince since 2022 that they are heading for ultimate victory.» ...over Russia from 2022.
This makes the option of a full — scale war with Russia almost inevitable unless there is a radical political shift across Europe-which seems unlikely.
We are playing heads up, hoping that a generalized war will not lead to nuclear escalation, because we simply cannot bear to admit defeat in Ukraine.
Everyone should be deeply concerned about this and lobby their governments for peace and diplomacy. Otherwise, I fear that many of us will lose our lives because of the stupidity of our political elites.
Jonny Toop
Apparently because what we might call the "global Mafia" —a conspiratorial Club of corrupt members of the elite who richly reward their own people for their loyalty— derives enormous profits from the war. They control all levers of power through bribes and extortion. The whole system is corrupt and serves, at best, 1% of the population at the expense of all the rest. This 1% must put themselves in a position where they realize that it is in their interest to align themselves with the interests of humanity.
The video in the comments
