The Lead
Intervene with Reality and Reason for a Promising Future
by Marcia Merry Baker (EIRNS) — Dec. 01, 2025
On the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 2, U.S. Presidential envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin, toward confirming terms that can be the basis of settlement of the Ukraine conflict. This follows upon the four-hour meeting yesterday between U.S. leaders, and the Ukrainian delegation—headed by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, which took place at Witkoff’s Florida golf and residential club. No definitive break nor resolution has come about for either success or failure of this process of U.S. engagement in talks, but the process is valuable, and reality has a way of intervening.
It is notable that President Putin on Nov. 30 went to visit in person a forward command station of the Russian Joint Force, to take reports from his top commanders on the status of Russian military advances. Putin received news directly from Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who “announced the liberation of Krasnoarmeysk in the Donetsk People’s Republic as well as Volchansk in the Kharkov Region, (Pokrovsk) in the D.P.R. and Volchansk in the Kharkov Region, as well as about the results of offensive operations in other areas,” as the President’s website (http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/78622 stated today.
On the Ukrainian side today, acting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Paris meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, and together they got a report from Witkoff and Umerov—via phone, with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the call as well. Afterwards Macron, Zelenskyy, and the large complement of leaders of the Coalition of the Willing (to continue the warfare) then had their own call. On Dec. 2 Zelenskyy and Umerov are reported set to confer in Ireland, at the time of Zelenskyy’s pre-planned visit there.
There is no use-value in prognosticating about exactly when and what may result at any exact time in this diplomatic process, which itself is nevertheless useful, in large part because of the context of reality asserting itself. Ukraine cannot continue with the mortal losses it is suffering in being used by the Western geopolitical interests as a proxy against Russia. That is the reality. Demanding Ukraine continue warfare, when a resolution can be found, is immoral insanity.
On display in Brussels today, at the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Defense) meeting of ministers, was exactly that: immoral insanity. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas gave a mad-woman speech about how Europe must continue to back Ukraine to the hilt, and moreover, continue itself to arm and make ready against Russia. She boasted that Europe has already contributed $187 billion to Ukraine, and must continue such support. She praised the Netherlands for announcing it will build an arms production center in Ukraine. She praised the specific EU war preparation programs, “Defense Readiness Roadmap” and the “Military Mobility Package.”
Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone (Italy) went even further. In an interview with London’s Financial Times on Dec. 1, Admiral Dragone said that even a pre-emptive strike against Russia is among the many things NATO is thinking about. Though he said, as a feint, that such a strike “is further away from our normal way of thinking and behavior,” Dragone nevertheless clearly raised the prospect as a favorable option.
Helga Zepp-LaRouche, leader of the Schiller Institute, today denounced this kind of madness among “top European leaders,” reporting, “we are run by madmen.” Characterizing the world situation, she stressed that, “we have a strategic picture of maximum tension, dangers and potentials,” and the situation “requires our intervention.”
The actions of NATO can be described as “institutionalized madness.” NATO Director General Mark Rutte met with Kallas today at the time of the EU Foreign Affairs ministers meeting, supporting her crazed declarations. Moreover, Rutte spoke on Dec. 1 with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a 20-minute call, pledging what amounts to Global NATO expansion. Takaichi’s office afterward issued a read out, reporting: “Takaichi highlighted that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific is inseparable and cooperation between Japan-NATO and NATO-IP4 (Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea) is strategically important. In response, Secretary-General Rutte supported such views, and both leaders concurred on working together to elevate our cooperative relationship to new heights through concrete cooperation….”
Zepp-LaRouche took the gloves off against NATO in an interview with the China Media Group, broadcast widely on CGTN Dec. 1. She identified the expansion of NATO as the fundamental cause triggering the Ukraine conflict, and then painted the broad picture. “Although NATO claims its original intention was peaceful, after the military interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and other countries, NATO’s so-called ‘peaceful conduct’ becomes untenable.”
She pointed to the solution, addressing Europe, but with a point universally applicable. “Overall, I think we need to achieve a transformation in the way of thinking in Europe, because wherever you look, whether it’s Venezuela, the Middle East, or Ukraine, all these conflicts would become much easier to resolve if Western countries could change their mindset, turn to cooperation with Global South countries and the global majority, and return to diplomacy.”
Note, as of the time of preparation of this item, that a White House meeting is underway this evening, commissioned by President Donald Trump to provide him “options” for further action in the Caribbean against Venezuela. The prospects are grim, given the known stance for brute force by the advisers he has assembled.
This is the time to expand interventions of all kinds for reason and diplomacy, not warfare. The weekly International Peace Coalition Meeting, serving international collaboration, is Dec. 5, at 11:00 a.m. (ET).
Contents
Strategic War Danger
- Witkoff To Meet President Putin in Moscow Dec. 2 after Latest Round of U.S.-Ukraine Talks in Florida (↓)
- Putin Highlights Advances All Across the Front, Including Liberation of Pokrovsk (↓)
- Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi, and NATO Head Mark Rutte Promote Global NATO (↓)
- NATO Military Committee Head Says It Is Considering ‘Pre-Emptive Strike’ against Russia (↓)
New World Paradigm
U.S. and Canada
Collapsing Imperial System
Science and Technology
- Pasteur Institute Scientist Warns of Pandemic Risk from Bird Flu Virus, Potentially Worse Than Covid-19 (↓)
Harley Schlanger Update
Watch The Daily Update with Harley Schlanger, a short video update available every weekday morning from The LaRouche Organization.
