Russia-Ukraine crisis likely to remain a soft war of 'smoke and mirrors' - expert
The statement by NATO 's Jens Stoltenberg that Russia testing the principles of Europe's security has become 'the new normal ' in Europe is neither new, nor surprising, a Security Studies expert has said today.
Following the secretary general 's comments and reports of a skirmish between Ukrainian and Russian forces, Birmingham City University academic Dr Lily Hamourtziadou also suggested that 'using force to coerce other countries to change principles, regimes and alliances, in the process risking national, collective and even global security, is what great powers have always done. '
Dr Hamourtziadou (pictured) said: “Two of the great powers In the 21st century - the USA and Russia - practise an 'offensive normal ' through using aggression in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Crimea. In Syria alone, Russia 's military has killed up to 6,190 civilians since 2015, according to Airwars - a figure still lower than the US-led coalition 's 13,049 in Iraq during the same period.
“The creation of NATO in 1949 aimed to provide collective security against the Soviet Union, in an East-West Cold War that has not ended.
“The Russia-Ukraine-NATO crisis is only the latest in a long list of threats, confrontations and casualties. The competing ambitions of the US and Russia to control Europe once again threatens Europe 's security, though still not at the level they have impacted the security of the Middle East.
“When Ukraine, a candidate for NATO membership, joined NATO 's enhanced opportunity partner program in June 2020, it reinforced the threat to Russia 's security by a Western alliance.
“An actual military confrontation, though not impossible, is unlikely. Unlike the hard wars the great powers are fighting in the Middle East, this war is likely to remain 'soft ': a war of smoke and mirrors. ”