SAEDNEWS: A prominent professor of international relations emphasized that the West’s strategic failure in Ukraine, Trump’s “foolish” entry into the war against Iran, and the U.S.’s participation in the genocide in Gaza are all signs of a deep crisis in Washington.
According to Saed News, citing ISNA, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, met on Friday evening in Alaska; a meeting that quickly drew widespread attention in the media and political circles worldwide. Many saw it as a sign of a shift in the balance of power and a test of Washington's role in global equations. The meeting ended without any achievements. This issue has led many to analyze the new conditions of the Ukraine war and Trump’s approaches.
In this context, John Mearsheimer, a prominent professor of international relations at the University of Chicago and a well-known theorist of the realist school, emphasized, while analyzing the details of the Alaska meeting and the situation in the Ukraine war, that this battle is an “existential” war for Russia, and that the United States, with its wrong decisions, is trapped in costly wars, including against Iran.
Referring to the opposition of the Russian President to Europe and the United States’ demand for a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, he stated:
"Putin did an extraordinary job in managing his behavior and demeanor in the recent meeting. This was the only thing that needed to be done. He just needed to attend the meeting and show Trump a diplomatic, intelligent, and professional attitude."
He added:
"This ended Putin’s isolation in the West and, in a way, legitimized his authority. Everyone expected this from him, and he acted very effectively. There is a big difference between peace and a ceasefire. Russia is winning on the battlefield and is not seeking a ceasefire. Rather, it seeks a sustainable and documented peace agreement. But Trump and Europe want a ceasefire."
Mearsheimer emphasized:
"After Putin’s explicit opposition to the idea of a ceasefire, Trump has now retreated and also seeks peace. According to Trump, the best way to end the Ukraine war is a peace agreement."
He added:
"The only reason the West wants a ceasefire is Ukraine’s increasing losses on the battlefield, and the West does not know how to help the situation. A ceasefire will be a break period for Ukraine and allow the West to re-equip its forces."
The international relations professor emphasized:
"The Russians are fully aware of the West’s goal and are not willing to give Ukraine the opportunity to rearm and continue the war. Russia has no interest in a ceasefire; they want the war to stop according to their own conditions. According to Moscow, Ukraine’s potential NATO membership is an existential threat. From Russia’s perspective, this war is an existential war."
He added:
"Russia has specific conditions. One of the main conditions is the recognition of Russia’s control over four Ukrainian provinces plus Crimea. Their second condition is for Ukraine to become a neutral country. Russia’s third condition is the elimination of the offensive capabilities of the Ukrainian army so that it no longer poses a threat to Russia. These three conditions are unacceptable to the West."
Mearsheimer emphasized:
"For this reason, reaching a peace agreement is impossible. Ukraine and the West are not interested in peace, but rather in a ceasefire. In this regard, you witnessed a short meeting between Trump and Putin that led to no results."
This international relations professor, once again referring to Trump’s retreat from his previous positions and the implicit opposition of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington and Moscow’s request for a peace agreement, emphasized:
“Trump is transferring decision-making power to Zelensky. He has realized that he cannot end this war. He cannot persuade Europe and Ukraine to accept a peace agreement. He also cannot force Putin to accept a ceasefire. On the other hand, Trump has also retreated from his idea of imposing secondary sanctions on Russia.”
Mearsheimer added:
“Therefore, both the idea of a ceasefire and sanctions have been removed from the table. In practice, Trump has agreed with Putin’s idea for reaching a peace agreement. Zelensky will go to the White House on Monday. This means that Trump has handed over decision-making power to Europe and Zelensky. That is, if necessary, Trump will attend negotiations between Europe, Ukraine, and Russia. He is not seeking to force Europe and Ukraine to accept a U.S.-shaped agreement.”
He emphasized:
“According to Trump himself, he cannot resolve this war. If he had acted intelligently, he could have ended this war. But from the beginning of his second term, he has acted foolishly with Russia. Russia has maintained its position from the start and has not changed it.”
Mearsheimer stressed:
“We in the West are unwilling to accept Russia’s view of the Ukraine war. Russia sees this war as an existential threat to itself and is ready to enter a much broader war with far greater intensity to protect itself. But until Ukraine is decisively defeated on the battlefield, the West will remain delusional.”
Referring again to Trump’s threats to impose bilateral sanctions on Russia and the current retreat from that stance, he stated:
“Secondary sanctions on Russia mean sanctioning China and India. We cannot sanction China because they control the U.S. market and vital materials, and by sanctioning India, we drive New Delhi toward Moscow. As a result, we cannot sanction India either, and Trump has placed himself in a very difficult position.”
Mearsheimer added:
“Before the end of his term, Trump sent Whitaker to Russia to plan the Alaska meeting and get out of this difficult situation.”
He emphasized:
“With Putin agreeing to attend this meeting, Trump was able to say that it is no longer necessary to announce sanctions, and he has now fully retreated from this decision. Although Trump’s actions can never be predicted, this meeting was a victory for Putin. The reality is that the U.S. has no card to play.”
In response to a question about the impact of consolidating Russian control over four eastern and southern Ukrainian regions, Mearsheimer added:
“This means losing 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory. This would be a tragedy for Ukraine. The best option for Ukraine is for the war to end as soon as possible because if the war continues, Ukraine will lose more territory.”
He emphasized:
“If Ukraine continues the war, it might lose half of its territory. If this happens, Ukraine will lose its ability to remain as a country. If Ukraine insists on its desire to join NATO, Russia will have more motivation to seize more territory and turn Ukraine into a shattered state.”
Mearsheimer stated:
“Ukraine must prevent this from happening, but conveying this reality to Zelensky, Europe, and most American politicians is impossible.”
Referring to the battlefield situation in Ukraine, Mearsheimer said:
“Domestic support in Ukraine for the war is declining. Many are fleeing the country. The situation is very critical; this war could end next year with a complete Russian victory. Ukraine’s current problem is not weapons or military equipment, but rather a shortage of personnel and military force.”
He added:
“In my view, Ukraine is doomed, and Zelensky will be forced to accept Russia’s terms. The smart move for Ukrainians is to accept their defeat. But it is not only Ukrainians who want the four regions to return to the country; the West is also unwilling to accept its defeat. The West and Ukraine will sabotage the four regions under Russian control, and this action will face a firm response. This conflict may lead to a broader war. Tensions are extremely high.”
Mearsheimer emphasized:
“I do not understand the West’s desire not to accept reality and its unwillingness to try to improve its relations with Russia. These matters are in Ukraine’s interest.”
He added: “At the very beginning of the war, Putin offered his peace proposal and Ukraine was negotiating with Russia. But Boris Johnson (then Prime Minister of the U.K.) and the U.S. prevented these negotiations. The U.S. believes that it can strike Russia using Ukraine without spilling American blood. Russia is now a major power that the U.S. is unwilling to accept.”
Mearsheimer, in response to a question, said: “Both the Trump and Biden administrations believe that the only vital action to maintain U.S. power is war with China. But now the U.S. cannot exit the war in Ukraine. The situation in the Middle East is even more critical. Consider the recent U.S. war against the Houthis (Ansar Allah); Trump withdrew from it a month after it began because this war was depleting U.S. weapons stockpiles.”
Referring to the war of the Israeli regime against Iran and the U.S. joining this war, he stated: “In Israel’s war against Iran, many of the U.S. missile defense stockpiles were destroyed. Despite Israel’s two attempts to create a war between Iran and the U.S. during the Biden administration, he was unwilling to start a war against Iran, which was a smart move. But Trump entered the war against Iran in a completely foolish way, and now the U.S. is trapped in this war.”
Mearsheimer concluded: “The U.S. is in a critical situation. On the other hand, you should not ignore moral issues either. The U.S. is complicit in a genocide. The events in Gaza are a genocide. Even those who refuse to acknowledge the genocide have admitted that a massive killing is taking place. So, both strategically and morally, the actions of the Biden and Trump administrations have disturbed many people, including me.”
