What does the Ukraine crisis mean to Washington?
- By Xu Qinduo
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E-mail CRI, February 15, 2015
First of all, a heavy blow to Russia satisfies many in Washington. Russia has always been characterized as the enemy of the U.S., and a villain in Europe, so it must be to the hearts' content of many to see the Russian bear being isolated, contained and weakened.
With Russia coming all out to protect its strategic interests, some European nations are concerned and then turn to the United States for protection. That has reinforced the military presence of the United States by having more helicopters flying in the air space close to Russia. An independent European Union who is capable of handling crisis in its own periphery has never been so distant.
Economic sanctions against each other also sow disaccord between the EU and Russia. An EU moving further from Moscow and closer to Washington might be an unintended but welcoming result for some people in the U.S.
Despite the war of sanctions with Moscow, Washington has basically been unscathed. The U.S. trade with Russia in 2014 reached 10.7 billion dollars, slightly fewer than that in the previous year of 11.1 billion, but more than the volume in 2012.
Now there's a new Minsk agreement just reached under the prolonged negotiations by leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France. To what degree the deal will help mitigate the situation in east Ukraine will almost totally depend on its implementation by the Ukrainian government and the rebels.
Despite the agreement over Ukraine, the U.S. will continue to increase its influence in Ukraine by sending military advisors to train its soldiers. NATO expansion to absorb Ukraine will be more real, which will enable the military organization to deploy troops right at the doorstep of Russia.
Nobody knows when the Ukrainian crisis will completely die out. But what appears clear is a dire scene: a dismembered Ukraine, a wounded Russia and a weakened EU. The U.S. is the least affected.
Xu Qinduo is CRI's former chief correspondent to Washington DC, the United States. He works as the producer, host and commentator for TODAY, a flagship talk show on current affairs. Mr. Xu contributes regularly to English-language newspapers including Shenzhen Daily and Global Times as well as Chinese-language radio and TV services.
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