n a sobering gathering of international experts at the Foreign Strategy conference on ‘UK and Global Security: Scenario after the war between Russia and Ukraine’ in central London today, dire warnings echoed through the halls as scholars and veterans dissected the complexities of the ongoing conflict.
Among the attendees was Marina Litvinenko, wife of Alexander Litvinenko, a British-naturalised Russian defector and former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service, who, as a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, advised British intelligence and coined the term “mafia state”.
The atmosphere was charged with a sense of urgency, as renowned figures such as Taras Kuzio, Alexander Osovtsov, and Vladimir Socor delivered grave assessments of the current geopolitical landscape.
Their insights suggest that the war in Ukraine is not merely a regional dispute but a harbinger of a much broader, global conflict-one that has, according to some, already initiated the ominous spectre of World War Three.
A chilling narrative unfolded during the conference which painted a picture of a world on the precipice, where peace may remain elusive for decades to come.
Taras Kuzio, Professor of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, started by addressing the role of external actors in prolonging the conflict. He emphasised the impact of President Biden’s policy on military aid to Ukraine. He said: “War would have been over if Biden didn’t push for his ‘drip-drip’ policy on military aid to Ukraine – same as Macron.”
Kuzio drew attention to the stark differences in the approaches of various nations, pointing out that the UK openly supports the defeat of Russia.
“This is not just a war about Ukraine; the foundation of this war is that Ukraine doesn’t exist,” Kuzio claimed, urging the international community to revisit Putin’s 2007 Munich speech, which was largely ignored.
He characterised Russia as a “Schizo-fascist state,” accusing Putin of harbouring grand ambitions to enter Russia’s history following Stalin’s footsteps.
Kuzio’s alarming statement continued, claiming that Russia and Iran share the goal of eradicating Ukraine and Israel “from the face of the earth”. He added that these countries perceive themselves to be at war, while Western governments, particularly the Biden administration, are seemingly oblivious. “For them, World War Three has already begun,” Kuzio added.
Alexander Osovtsov, a veteran of Russian politics, offered a broader perspective on the conflict, emphasising the interconnected nature of the ongoing war.
“It’s one war, not two different wars – two pieces of one war – one war of one bloc, the bloc of aggressive dictatorships, Russia, Iran and their proxies.” Osovtsov identified China as the current leader of this bloc and stressed the need for a united front from democratic countries worldwide.
“The main aim today is to destroy Russia’s military forces – not to achieve peace,” Osovtsov claimed, expressing scepticism about the possibility of political change in Russia. He labelled the Russian state as inherently distractive and suggested that the global community’s duty is to oppose this bloc of aggressive dictatorships.
Vladimir Socor, a Romanian-American political analyst, focused on the likely outcome of the conflict, predicting the de-facto partition of Ukraine. He warned that such an outcome would not lead to compromise but rather to a total victory for Russia against the West.
Socor stressed that there would be no clear line between the state of war and peace, asserting that hostility may subside but will never end, drawing comparisons to the current status quo of South Korea against North Korean aggression.
“There will be no state of peace. Ukraine will be granted consolation prizes – the war will continue without end,” Socor said. He highlighted the impracticality of offering Ukraine fast-track integration into Europe “after the war,” as the war in Ukraine is multidimensional and likely to persist even after a ceasefire.
