Brief Look At US Strategy In Eastern And Central Europe To Deter China And Russia

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IMAGE: Marko Drobnjakovic / AP

On October 18 at the Atlantic Council, US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Aaron Wess Mitchell made bombshell remarks removing the fog of informational cover from goals and actions of the Washington establishment in Central and Eastern Europe. The recent developmenst showed that representatives of the Washington establishment do not contribute much efforts to hide their real goals and double-faced policy as well as the humilating actions against and contemptuous disregard of other states and nations, first of all small states. In the framework of this  behaviour, the October 18 remarks by Mr Mitchell summed up Washington narratives and send a clear message to the international community.

Let’s look at the most interesting part of his remarks.

Mitchell claimed that the United States’ rivals – China and Russia – are “expanding their political, military, and commercial influence” in Central and Eastern Europe to the detriment of the Western alliance. He continued stating that there is “the urgent task of strengthening the West t ocontest the growing influence of our rivals”.

Mitchell: “Even a casual look at the map today should lead us to question the assumptions that animated past policies and turn our attention to the urgent task of strengthening the West to contest the growing influence of our rivals.” #ACEurasia pic.twitter.com/wQbBdJJ3Wl

— Atlantic Council (@AtlanticCouncil) 18 October 2018

The US diplomat added that the US is going to carry out active actinos abourd, keeping them away from the US territory and sphere of the economic security.

“US strategy towards these regions today is guided by certain principles… First, America will compete for positive influence abroad,” he stated.

In fact, Mr Mitchell openly proclaimed that the US will contest its “rivals” using other states as a battleground. This will allow to keep the conflict away from the homeland interests of the Washington establishment. The US diplomat also pointed out states where this conflict will be ongoing. These are “Ukraine, Georgia, and even Belarus”.

“Today it is the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of frontier states like Ukraine, Georgia, and even Belarus, that offer the surest bulwark against Russian neo-imperialism,” he said.

The logic of this comment raises eyebrows. He openly suggest to contest Russia intervening into the internal situation in Ukraine, Georgia and Belarus. Nonetheless, he does not see any violation of “sovereignty and territorial integrity” in this strategy employed towards these newly created states.

Mr Mitchell also claimed that states of Central Europe are under threat of economic and political intervention in their internal policies. One can think that Mitchel’s remaks is about the US regional policy, but no. He accused Russia and China. The US diplomat also made a classic PR stunt claiming that Washington will “compete for positive influence abroad” using its public image.

“America is a powerful democracy whose example as a beacon of liberty burns bright and continues to draw others to us. ” he stated adding that the US expects “those whom America helps to not abet our rivals.”

Convering these propaganda claims into normal people speak, this means that the US using its unlimited influence tools (financial, military political and personal security threats) demands from its clients to obey and to follow its very policy and interests. This is also warning to national elites to avoid attempting to defend their own interests or intersts of their nations, which are not relevant to the US policy.

An example of this explanation is the following remark by Mr Mitchell:

” Western Europeans cannot continue to deepen energy dependence on the same Russia that America defends it against.  Or enrich themselves on the same Iran that is building ballistic missiles which threaten Europe.”

“The same holds true for Central Europeans.  It is not acceptable for U.S. allies in Central Europe to support projects like Turkstream II and maintain cozy nuclear energy deals that make the region more vulnerable to the very Russia that these states joined NATO to protect themselves against. “

The question appears how is the US defending Western Europe from Russia? What kind of measures does it employ for it? How is Russia or Iran attacking and threatening Europe?

It’s also interesting to note that Washington constantly adresses the energy projects like Turkstream II. This very topic has economic matter only because it threates super profits of the Washington establishment from LNG sales to Europe. Today, using its diplomatic and military power, the US is forcing EU states to buy LNG generating extra revenues (30-50%). These funds will continue flowing to Washington next decades if the US threats ahieve their goal.

Admitting the US neo-imperialism, Mr Mitchell also said that Washington “reject[s] Russia’s territorial aggression against its neighbor Ukraine and [rejects] China’s predatory ‘debt-mongering’ throughout Central and Eastern Europe.” What does Mitchell adress when he talks abotu China’s predatory ‘debt-mongering’? In fact, Beijing is employing a different approach – the policy of soft economic expansion. China provides its partner states and corporations with debts at reduced rates. Additionally, if the debt funds are spent on Chinese-made production, these rates become even lower or event 0%. In the framework of the same approach, the credit user gets discounts and instalments of date for Chinese production. Currently, the US is not able to compete with China in this field. Furthermore, in the ongoing economic war between the US and China, Beijing is slowly gaining an upper hand. This is th real reason behind these emotional remarks by Mr Mitchell.

In general, the speech of Mr Mitchell at the Atlantic Council shows a low level of competence of members of the Trump administration working in the field of the European, Russian and Chinese issues.

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