Nonresident fellow hos Centre of Defence Strategies
Jan 14, 2025
The term “Russia-Ukraine War” is increasingly more misleading.
In August, I made an honest effort to shoot down the highly misleading “Russia-Ukraine War” term in the article “NATO must abandon “Russia-Ukraine War” delusion”.
Explaining why it is misleading and counterproductive is easy. How can it be called a “Russia-Ukraine war” when:
- it knows no borders and has far-reaching global repercussions
- Russia has defined the West as its enemy and explicitly states it is an “armed conflict with the collective West”
- The EU Parliament has concluded that Russia is waging a hybrid war against the EU and its member states.
- Russia has claimed a sphere of influence over Eastern Europe and says that Ukraine is just a stepping stone before attacking Eastern Europe.
– When European Heads of State, Ministers and Chief of Defence argue that Russia will not stop at Ukraine’s western borders and warn about an increasing risk of a military conflict between NATO and Russia in 2 – 5 years, stressing that “the continent has entered a “pre-war era”.
The term “Russia-Europe war” is far more appropriate. It describes the realities and adds a sense of urgency and purpose. Europe and the US are under assault. The hybrid war that started in Ukraine in 2014 is also taking place across the West. What’s happening in Ukraine is only a prelude to what will happen on NATO territory if Ukraine is defeated. Calling it the “Russia-Europe war” allows crucial questions like: What are we doing about it? Why don’t we do more for Ukraine?
Media and politicians continue to use the term “Russia-Ukraine War”. I find it odd all the time public figures simultaneously say:
- “The 2%… Everything I’m seeing at this moment is not nearly enough, and if we don’t do it, we are safe now, but not in four or five years. So if you don’t do it, get out your Russian language courses or go to New Zealand.” (NATO SecGen Mark Rutte, 13 Jan 2025)
- “The future of European and global security depends on the outcome of the war in Ukraine. […] “I am deeply concerned about the security situation in Europe.” (NATO SecGen Mark Rutte, 13 Jan 2025)
- “The rapid increase in the defence budget of NATO allies and sustained support for Ukraine is a matter of national security for all of us.” (Minister of Lithuanian National Defence, Dovile Shakalene, 13 Jan 2025)
- “Sweden is not at war. But it is not a state of peace either.” (Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson, 12 Jan 2025)
- Commenting on Russia’s hybrid actions in the Baltic Sea, Pistorius said: “This is happening every day”. (German DefMin Boris Pistorius, 10 Jan 2025)
- “Europe faces a long-term threat as Russia’s war in Ukraine is no longer a regional conflict.” (German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, 23 Nov 2024)
Russia is seeking strategic parity with the US and China. The defeat of Ukraine is, therefore, only a means to an end. Putin has already told us what he wants beyond Ukraine and is acting accordingly.
Cartoon: David Horsey
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Comment from :
It has never been a Russia-Ukraine war. RIM Russia has stated for years their war is against the Western Civilisation. NATO is the Western Civ. obstacle, preventing Imperial Russia from taking over the whole Europe. Either Putin’s spiel, or his propagandists, and despite maskirovka, are stating this for years. I don’t understand why the Kremlin’s propagandists content is dismissed, or not taken seriously. Their Plan is all there. We can easily filter through the maskirovka and get the real content out of it. They are not scholars or career experts according to our ‘western’ standards?… They don’t care what we think. Only a few of them, down the hierarchy, bother writting and publish “papers” on “western” platforms. They have their own. One needs to be open minded and actually LOOK & SEE, without… snobbism.
William Collins
By classical definition war is a state of conflcit between two or more nations. But Putin has said numerous times that Ukraine is not a nation. So who then is Russia at with with if not Ukraine? As you point out quite ably, Putin is at war with NATO and most all the other countries of Europe that oppose him or sit within his path for conquest of Europe. In doing this Putin is doing two thing. First he is trying to normalize his claims that all the former members of the Soviet Block are in fact not independept countries but parts of Russia that must be rightfully reclaimed. Second by refusing to recongize Ukraine he is trying to force others such as NATO and the US to come to the negotiating table on Ukraine’s behalf. Because anything Ukraine can concede to Putin is a pre-condition for even coming to the table. Putin wants to force the West to make concessions over and above anything Ukraine can offer. He also wants to be seen as equal to or better than NATO and the U.S. Even though Russia has an economy smaller than Italy’s and a population smaller than Western Europe’s, Putin wants Russia recognized again as a Super Power.
In 2008 when Russia attacked Georgia, Russian propaganda claimed it was war against NATO – on territory of Georgia. Sadly, neither NATO nor EU did not see that war as threat for them….When we were screaming “Help us, or Russia will not stop on Georgia”, our Western partners looked very sceptic to that statements…we all know consequences…
Max Popko
This war, it deseves our respect and recognition. We already past 1 million of casualties. World War 3 is the name. Mark my words. With Iran and North Korea already in, it is not “Russia” and not “Europe” anymore. Nobody calls it USSR-Poland war of 1939 or German-Austrian war of 1938.
Marijn Markus
It wasn’t the Germany-Poland-Russia war for long, either.
Mary Jardine-Clarke
Hans Petter Midttun – I too have continually pointed this out. In fact the kremlin itself still refers to the their illegal, immoral invasion as a “special military operation” Significantly -they have never formally declared war on Ukraine. This is because there are legal implications in what they seek and what they might be able to bully Ukraine into. They never counted on Ukraine being supported and certainly never expected their army to fight back as long as they have. Russia is in a very precarious legal position, and it is not being examined nor exploited which astounds me. The west should be exploiting this to the highest degree
“The west should be exploiting this to the highest degree”
The West should’ve exploited many things, yet, by and large, the West only stands there, holding its limp dick.