“There’s no other issue today that is more important than preventing nuclear war. And we almost had one last week.” That is how former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter started off Friday’s meeting of the International Peace Coalition. This is not being “alarmist,” Ritter insisted—"If you are not scared to death, then you’re the problem, I’m not the problem.”
Ritter’s edgy remarks referred to the meeting between UK Prime Minister Starmer and President Biden last week, at which Starmer presented Biden with a list of targets inside Russia awaiting the go-ahead for a strike by Storm Shadow missiles. Not only does this prove that NATO countries are directly involved in the decision-making process about strikes inside Russian territory, but the targeting of these missiles can only be done with live US surveillance software and infrastructure. This includes the loading of encrypted targeting data into the weapons—which can only be done by American technicians directly. As Russian President Putin said last week: such a decision would mean that NATO is directly at war with Russia.
Luckily for mankind, someone has thus far kept their foot on the brake. While this pause is good and indicates at least a shred of sanity (probably in Washington as opposed to London), there has been no actual change of policy, and the world is still standing on the absolute precipice of self-destruction. Zelensky’s visit to Washington next week is part of a coordinated campaign to increase the pressure on Biden and others to let loose.
Commenting on this pause in an interview with Sky News Arabia Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov noted: “Thankfully, there are a few reasonable people in Washington.” However he gave no letup on the underlying danger of the current policy. Asked about Russia’s “red lines” in the context of the debate on long-range NATO weapons, Lavrov responded: “We talk about the ‘red lines’ in the hope that our assessments and statements will be heard by clever decision-makers. It is silly to say that we will push the red button, if tomorrow you fail to do as I demand. I am confident that the decision-makers are aware of what we mean in these situations. No one wants a nuclear war. We said this time and again. Let me assure you that we have weapons whose use will involve grave consequences for the masters of the Ukrainian regime. These weapons are available and on full alert status.”
Sanity must prevail. At the same time, another manifestation of this policy is unfolding in Southwest Asia, as Israel is now moving toward a full-blown war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Over a hundred strikes were launched into southern Lebanon Thursday, followed by a major strike that Israel claims killed 10 top Hezbollah commanders in Beirut. The US has so far been unwilling to de-escalate the situation or provide any meaningful pressure on Israel to relent, nearly guaranteeing a wider war in the coming days.
The International Peace Coalition on Friday took up the question of: How can this madness be stopped? While an anti-war mobilization to stop these wars from escalating beyond the point of no-return is needed, this alone won’t solve the problem because the geometry of today’s crisis is different than in any previous time. The underlying cause must be addressed, and that means addressing the now bankrupt and failing neoliberal order, and replacing it with a new security and development architecture. The coalition of sane voices must be expanded, and true counter-pressure applied to officials everywhere.
There is no other option. We must wake people up to this danger now, or they will be woken up by the global war we are being walked into.
