Looking For An Off-Ramp In Ukraine

The rhetoric surrounding the Ukraine war has reached a fever pitch. Public commentators and media personalities are irresponsibly using hateful language to simplify the conflict down to battle between good and evil. The soldiers of both sides are being described as “orcs” and “ghouls,” imagery reminiscent of the vile propaganda published during World War One. 

Such terms are deliberately used to mobilize public opinion and aid military recruitment efforts but one of the long-term consequences of such a dumbed-down media strategy is that it makes the eventual peace deal a hard pill to swallow for both the victor and the loser, thereby increasing the possibility of further conflict down the line.

II.

China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis – Published on February 24, 2023:

2. Abandoning the Cold War mentality. The security of a country should not be pursued at the expense of others. The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly. There is no simple solution to a complex issue. All parties should, following the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and bearing in mind the long-term peace and stability of the world, help forge a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture. All parties should oppose the pursuit of one’s own security at the cost of others’ security, prevent bloc confrontation, and work together for peace and stability on the Eurasian Continent.

An excerpt from, “Graham Allison: ‘Time to Search for an Off-Ramp’ in Ukraine” October 21, 2022:

GA: If it were up to me, if I were the adviser to the adults in both Moscow and Washington, I would say we’ve escalated far enough to see how bad things could become if we end up in a world where nuclear weapons are used. I think the fact that over seven decades now states have concluded that nuclear weapons are not usable as part of ordinary international relations between great nuclear powers is a significant factor in the fact that we have had seven decades without great-power war—something that’s historically very anomalous. So, I believe that where we are now, both for Putin’s Russia and for the Biden-led U.S. and the Western alliance, it’s time to search for an off-ramp for all the parties. And I know there’s some energy going into that by the governments and I wish there would be more. I think we’ve escalated far enough to settle at this point.

Video Title: Stephen Cohen at the Munk Debate on Russia. Source: TheMunkDebates. Date Published: November 18, 2015.