World News: G7 Helps Ukraine Look into the Future

Details

Category: World News - Europe

Published on Monday, 22 May 2023 15:07

Written by Olivier Longhi

The diplomatic action led by Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 highlights a vision of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and its aftermath that aims to give Ukraine a role other than the one it occupied before the invasion.

Surprise guest of the G7 held a few days ago in Hiroshima, Japan, Volodymyr Zelensky has shown diplomatic ability to oblige his partners and allies in the future. This displayed voluntarism coupled with a fine communication operation, some would almost speak of a form of Ukrainian soft power, is part of very specific military orientations and which refer to the counter-offensive that the Ukrainian army is preparing for a date that has not yet been revealed to the allies.

Beltway Insider: Biden G7, Ukraine Aid, DeSantis 2024, Uvalde, Sharpton’s Hypocrisy

However, official or not, the so-called counter-offensive must, and the Ukrainian president has understood this very well, be considered from a military point of view but also from a diplomatic point of view.

Ambitions and Humiliation

Anxious to retain his allies and the support they provide him, especially from a logistical point of view and particularly after the official announcement by the United States to deliver its F-16 fighter jets, Volodymyr Zelensky is aware that in the event of a military setback during the counter-offensive, the Western allies could potentially be taken by a form of weariness towards the Ukrainian cause.

World News: Marine Le Pen’s Party Breaks From the GUD

Even as the United States declared dedicated to the Ukrainian cause, there always remains the risk of seeing the so precious support crumble.

Thus, the first objective of the Ukrainian president, dressed in combat clothing, was to ensure the loyalty of the allies of the first hour, today and tomorrow, in case of failure of the counter-offensive. Volodymyr Zelensky's tactics are all the more refined since, by gathering the approval of the allies today, it will be difficult for them to dedicate themselves in case the Ukrainian army fails in its ambitions.

Macron Implodes in the Minefield of Pension Reform

And what if the counter-offensive succeeds? The Ukrainian president would emerge from it growing and strengthened just like his allies, Volodymyr Zelensky then posing as the leader of the Slavic world to which it would be difficult to refuse anything, including a rapid accession of Ukraine in NATO.

But this objective, last on the list of priorities of the members of the Atlantic Treaty, could well be included for a long time because if liberating eastern Ukraine is a shared goal among the members, humiliating Russia by integrating Ukraine into the Atlantic Organization, is not on the agenda.

That being said, relying on the adage that to govern is to foresee, Volodymyr Zelensky is already preparing, and rightly, the post-war period, first for the good of his country, then and above all also to ensure his place in the new European order that will be born in the aftermath of the conflict. Because in the event of Ukraine's victory, it would go from an invisible nation to an essential crossroads in Eastern Europe, becoming an essential geopolitical relay within a shaken European continent.

World News: French President Emmanuel Macron’s Popularity Nosedives

Bio: Olivier Longhi has extensive experience in European history. A seasoned journalist with fifteen years of experience, he is currently professor of history and geography in the Toulouse region of France. He has held a variety of publishing positions, including Head of Agency and Chief of Publishing. A journalist, recognized blogger, editor, and editorial project manager, he has trained and managed editorial teams, worked as a journalist for various local radio stations, a press and publishing consultant, and a communications consultant.