Threats to international peace and security - Security Council, 9601st meeting
Apr 15, 2024 06:51:04 #
Last week, I was invited to speak (thanks to our national treasure Ray McGovern) at the April 12th UNSC meeting, with the topic of the impact of Western aid in preventing peace in Ukraine. Over 20 years ago I was present in that same building listening to something, I can’t remember what. I recalled the vastness of the chamber, and it was certainly disconcerting on Friday to be on a big screen that reminded me of this scene in V for Vendetta.
Below is the video of what I did say to them. It is also what I really think, of course. The rest of the meeting was eye opening. For what it is worth:
(Go to 11:20 mark in this video, or read Karen Kwiatkowski's comments below):
"Madam President, thank you for allowing me to speak. I am a retired Air Force Lt Col, who began to question the government I served in 2002 as I watched my organization within the Pentagon manipulate information to sell an unnecessary and unjustified war, in that case, the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.
I want to make 3 points concerning how Western supplies to Ukraine have been, and remain, a barrier to peace.
First, Western aid and support has enabled war, and opposed peace. It is not sent there for Ukrainians, but for a government in Kiev initially chosen via a State Department and CIA influenced coup in 2014, to militarily confront Russia. This proxy embraced a kind of Ukrainian nationalism that relied heavily on Ukrainian Nazi ideology. Nazism is publicly rare and always condemned. But in Ukraine, it unified the kind of people who would do what the US and NATO desired. Therefore, history was forgotten, truth ignored, and Ukrainian culture denigrated – because a proxy war to weaken Russia, politically and economically, was desired by some in the west. US Senators and NATO leadership continue to celebrate this “good investment.”
Western assistance in weapons, surveillance and intelligence, as well as diplomatic “help” enabled 8 years of Kiev’s assault on the Donbass. The Russian military response — no doubt violent, deadly, and in violation of international law — reminds me of several US military operations I supported when in uniform – except when the US invaded, we discovered later that we were not really there to stop a war, to liberate anyone, to increase their freedom, or ensure their prosperity.
Without this Western aid and assistance, and unabashed US and NATO hatred for Russia, the Minsk treaties might have been more fully adhered to, and eventual peaceful agreements might have progressed – without war, bringing blessings of peace and trade.
Second, Western arms shipments have turned the Ukrainian military into a massive Rube Goldberg machine. What could have been a coordinated and deeply supplied Ukrainian defense operation became reactive, overly complicated, chaotic and even idiotic. This was predictable. Odd numbers of weapons systems, some defensive, others offensive, many of which required western maintenance and intelligence inputs, were and are used in ways that are wasteful and tragic. Major US and NATO weapons systems have been lost by deploying them into battle operations that cannot fully utilize, maintain or coordinate them. We see tragedy and loss of life on both sides, but the aid-dependent and logistically-impaired Ukrainian Army has become a slaughterhouse for Ukrainian men, a disaster for their families, over ten million of whom now live outside of Ukraine and may never return. Kiev’s frantic demand for more troops to throw at the front is itself a direct result of past Western military assistance.
Western aid – those delivered billions in military and financial assistance — placed Ukraine in a position where it did not seek peace two years ago, last year, or earlier this year, and where cannot seek peace today. Why is this? The West, particularly the US, has cultivated a dependent satrap in the permanent presidency of Mr. Zelensky. Thus, a single rushed visit to Kiev by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson could overturn a very possible peace in the late spring of 2022, without a single thought of what may come later. The Western “investment” has reduced US and NATO stockpiles, and it has also reduced Kiev’s ability to negotiate directly with Russia. Western leaders see what they have spent and they insist on some sort of return – they do not wish to lose their deposit, so to speak. In effect, the West-by-Proxy Ukraine refuses a settled peace under the sunk cost fallacy.
Third, as billions of dollars of weapons, munitions, supplies, and money, entered Ukraine, we observe another Rube Goldberg problem – this time, with government accountability. Where does this equipment go, and which bank accounts are fattened? We know, as does Interpol, that small arms and other supplies were diverted around the world, some immediately upon arrival to Ukraine. Ukraine had been known as most corrupt country in Europe, something that leaders in the West certainly took advantage of when it suited them. Two years into the war, with half their army dead or missing, we hear stories of widows being sent a bill for their war-slaughtered husband’s uniform, to top off an already unbearable grief. Yet those in Kiev, like the surrounding counties of Washington DC, seem to be living well, with luxury cars and stores seemingly untouched by the war. The US is said to be completely financing the government sector in Ukraine, and it shows in Kiev, as my friend Anatol Lieven observed last summer during his visit. Western aid to Ukraine has accelerated poverty and devastation for the bulk of the population, and widened the gap between rich and poor throughout Ukraine.
There is yet another problem with the massive Western aid to Ukraine. It is jealously viewed by other NATO members, as they look over the horizon to some sort of inevitable peace. Massive new US military bases being built in Romania and in Poland echo the base building spree the US embarked upon in the Balkans in the late 1990s, and later in the Middle East. Does the US cash flow to Ukraine truly make sense to Poland, Romania and other NATO members? Western aid has caused NATO division, which has increased risk of escalation, and silenced common sense and peaceful voices.
What do Ukrainians themselves want? Zelensky was overwhelmingly elected 5 years ago because he promised peace, and an end to the war in the Donbass. The West wasted Zelensky’s mandate, and reversed his every promise. He now begs for dwindling dollars and unavailable weapons systems, arrests people for free speech and journalism, shuts down political parties and churches, and has suspended the upcoming presidential election. Noting the lack of recruits, the shocking decimation of Ukrainian men, and a large Ukrainian diaspora that will never return home – it is safe to say Ukrainians who once voted for peace, want it more today than ever.
Instead of what most Ukrainians want, they are getting more weapons. Thousands of US-confiscated Iranian machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition were sent to Ukraine last week. Will this patchwork of loose weapons help Ukraine win? No, it will not.
To summarize, Western military aid and money sustains the Ukrainian government, and subsidizes its foreign policy. Haphazard Western and NATO aid, and the odd set of western military advisors in country complicated and confused Ukrainian military operations, and got more people killed. Former Congressman Ron Paul used to say, “Foreign aid is taking money from poor people in rich countries and giving it to rich people in poor countries.” While not always the case, this sentiment defines the Ukraine project perfectly. Western war aid has ended Ukrainian democracy, divided the Ukrainian people physically and spiritually, impoverished them, and warped their economy. Matthew Hoh recently addressed this body, and he accurately – and horrifyingly – explained the abject devastation to people and the environment done by our Western “assistance.” We now have the Ukrainian government, presumably with US and NATO aid and assistance, trying to blow up the Zaporozhye nuclear plant – to create an even more monstrous environmental disaster than expired US cluster bombs and mine fields that litter the land. Conditions for a peaceful resolution have existed for over two years now, yet Western aid continues to prolong the war, and makes it more difficult for Ukrainians to ever return to their homes.
We see deliberate destruction of life, property and liberty in Ukraine. The US government and NATO blames Russia for all of this, confusing correlation with causation. I believe the causation was perfidious Western cheerleading for a proxy war that should never have happened, for reasons yet unexplained, beyond a pressing need for just one more member of NATO.
To stop a bleeding wound, one must be still, remain calm, and apply a strong bandage. US and NATO – like an arrogant Nurse Ratched in the insane asylum – looks at a bleeding Ukraine, and says, “Don’t be still, fight harder, die more bravely, we will send more money and more weapons!” No one in Ukraine or most of the rest of the world believes this is good advice, because it is not good advice.
Thank you for hearing this message, and working as individuals, and as nations, for peace."
Below is the video of what I did say to them. It is also what I really think, of course. The rest of the meeting was eye opening. For what it is worth:
(Go to 11:20 mark in this video, or read Karen Kwiatkowski's comments below):
"Madam President, thank you for allowing me to speak. I am a retired Air Force Lt Col, who began to question the government I served in 2002 as I watched my organization within the Pentagon manipulate information to sell an unnecessary and unjustified war, in that case, the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.
I want to make 3 points concerning how Western supplies to Ukraine have been, and remain, a barrier to peace.
First, Western aid and support has enabled war, and opposed peace. It is not sent there for Ukrainians, but for a government in Kiev initially chosen via a State Department and CIA influenced coup in 2014, to militarily confront Russia. This proxy embraced a kind of Ukrainian nationalism that relied heavily on Ukrainian Nazi ideology. Nazism is publicly rare and always condemned. But in Ukraine, it unified the kind of people who would do what the US and NATO desired. Therefore, history was forgotten, truth ignored, and Ukrainian culture denigrated – because a proxy war to weaken Russia, politically and economically, was desired by some in the west. US Senators and NATO leadership continue to celebrate this “good investment.”
Western assistance in weapons, surveillance and intelligence, as well as diplomatic “help” enabled 8 years of Kiev’s assault on the Donbass. The Russian military response — no doubt violent, deadly, and in violation of international law — reminds me of several US military operations I supported when in uniform – except when the US invaded, we discovered later that we were not really there to stop a war, to liberate anyone, to increase their freedom, or ensure their prosperity.
Without this Western aid and assistance, and unabashed US and NATO hatred for Russia, the Minsk treaties might have been more fully adhered to, and eventual peaceful agreements might have progressed – without war, bringing blessings of peace and trade.
Second, Western arms shipments have turned the Ukrainian military into a massive Rube Goldberg machine. What could have been a coordinated and deeply supplied Ukrainian defense operation became reactive, overly complicated, chaotic and even idiotic. This was predictable. Odd numbers of weapons systems, some defensive, others offensive, many of which required western maintenance and intelligence inputs, were and are used in ways that are wasteful and tragic. Major US and NATO weapons systems have been lost by deploying them into battle operations that cannot fully utilize, maintain or coordinate them. We see tragedy and loss of life on both sides, but the aid-dependent and logistically-impaired Ukrainian Army has become a slaughterhouse for Ukrainian men, a disaster for their families, over ten million of whom now live outside of Ukraine and may never return. Kiev’s frantic demand for more troops to throw at the front is itself a direct result of past Western military assistance.
Western aid – those delivered billions in military and financial assistance — placed Ukraine in a position where it did not seek peace two years ago, last year, or earlier this year, and where cannot seek peace today. Why is this? The West, particularly the US, has cultivated a dependent satrap in the permanent presidency of Mr. Zelensky. Thus, a single rushed visit to Kiev by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson could overturn a very possible peace in the late spring of 2022, without a single thought of what may come later. The Western “investment” has reduced US and NATO stockpiles, and it has also reduced Kiev’s ability to negotiate directly with Russia. Western leaders see what they have spent and they insist on some sort of return – they do not wish to lose their deposit, so to speak. In effect, the West-by-Proxy Ukraine refuses a settled peace under the sunk cost fallacy.
Third, as billions of dollars of weapons, munitions, supplies, and money, entered Ukraine, we observe another Rube Goldberg problem – this time, with government accountability. Where does this equipment go, and which bank accounts are fattened? We know, as does Interpol, that small arms and other supplies were diverted around the world, some immediately upon arrival to Ukraine. Ukraine had been known as most corrupt country in Europe, something that leaders in the West certainly took advantage of when it suited them. Two years into the war, with half their army dead or missing, we hear stories of widows being sent a bill for their war-slaughtered husband’s uniform, to top off an already unbearable grief. Yet those in Kiev, like the surrounding counties of Washington DC, seem to be living well, with luxury cars and stores seemingly untouched by the war. The US is said to be completely financing the government sector in Ukraine, and it shows in Kiev, as my friend Anatol Lieven observed last summer during his visit. Western aid to Ukraine has accelerated poverty and devastation for the bulk of the population, and widened the gap between rich and poor throughout Ukraine.
There is yet another problem with the massive Western aid to Ukraine. It is jealously viewed by other NATO members, as they look over the horizon to some sort of inevitable peace. Massive new US military bases being built in Romania and in Poland echo the base building spree the US embarked upon in the Balkans in the late 1990s, and later in the Middle East. Does the US cash flow to Ukraine truly make sense to Poland, Romania and other NATO members? Western aid has caused NATO division, which has increased risk of escalation, and silenced common sense and peaceful voices.
What do Ukrainians themselves want? Zelensky was overwhelmingly elected 5 years ago because he promised peace, and an end to the war in the Donbass. The West wasted Zelensky’s mandate, and reversed his every promise. He now begs for dwindling dollars and unavailable weapons systems, arrests people for free speech and journalism, shuts down political parties and churches, and has suspended the upcoming presidential election. Noting the lack of recruits, the shocking decimation of Ukrainian men, and a large Ukrainian diaspora that will never return home – it is safe to say Ukrainians who once voted for peace, want it more today than ever.
Instead of what most Ukrainians want, they are getting more weapons. Thousands of US-confiscated Iranian machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition were sent to Ukraine last week. Will this patchwork of loose weapons help Ukraine win? No, it will not.
To summarize, Western military aid and money sustains the Ukrainian government, and subsidizes its foreign policy. Haphazard Western and NATO aid, and the odd set of western military advisors in country complicated and confused Ukrainian military operations, and got more people killed. Former Congressman Ron Paul used to say, “Foreign aid is taking money from poor people in rich countries and giving it to rich people in poor countries.” While not always the case, this sentiment defines the Ukraine project perfectly. Western war aid has ended Ukrainian democracy, divided the Ukrainian people physically and spiritually, impoverished them, and warped their economy. Matthew Hoh recently addressed this body, and he accurately – and horrifyingly – explained the abject devastation to people and the environment done by our Western “assistance.” We now have the Ukrainian government, presumably with US and NATO aid and assistance, trying to blow up the Zaporozhye nuclear plant – to create an even more monstrous environmental disaster than expired US cluster bombs and mine fields that litter the land. Conditions for a peaceful resolution have existed for over two years now, yet Western aid continues to prolong the war, and makes it more difficult for Ukrainians to ever return to their homes.
We see deliberate destruction of life, property and liberty in Ukraine. The US government and NATO blames Russia for all of this, confusing correlation with causation. I believe the causation was perfidious Western cheerleading for a proxy war that should never have happened, for reasons yet unexplained, beyond a pressing need for just one more member of NATO.
To stop a bleeding wound, one must be still, remain calm, and apply a strong bandage. US and NATO – like an arrogant Nurse Ratched in the insane asylum – looks at a bleeding Ukraine, and says, “Don’t be still, fight harder, die more bravely, we will send more money and more weapons!” No one in Ukraine or most of the rest of the world believes this is good advice, because it is not good advice.
Thank you for hearing this message, and working as individuals, and as nations, for peace."
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