If you've listened to my recent conversation with journalist Nikola Mikovic, you know we took a deep dive into Russia's foreign policy. What's really driving the war in Ukraine? What might bring that war to an end?
That conversation got me to thinking, what would an actual solution to the Russian-Ukraine war look like? Not one driven by ideology, rather by logic, economics, and the simple human desire to stop the bleeding. The following is the solution I came up with after speaking to Mikovic and other journalists.
A Peaceful Way to End This War
Russia
If Russia wants to end the war, the path forward is to withdraw from Ukraine and to pivot from a war economy back to what it does best: energy, oil, gas, coal, and now lithium. These are valuable global resources. Russia could rebuild its economy through energy exports instead of destruction.
Europe
Europe should resume buying affordable energy from Russia, instead of paying inflated prices for imported US gas. As a side thought - maybe this is why gas in the US is expensive - Europe is buying it from the United States, instead of getting it from Russia.
My proposal doesn't ignore politics and security concerns, a reason Europe might rather be buying it from America vs. Russia. Rather, this means rebuilding trade in a way that mutually serves stability, rather than endless escalation and wars.
The United States
Washington should lift sanctions once Russia withdraws and commits to peace. This would lower global inflation and restore trade balance. China is in this equation - it would reduce the risk of a larger conflict nobody wants.
The reality
The Kremlin would prefer the outcome outlined above. Putin and Russia are looking for a way out that lets Putin save face. Meanwhile, China is quietly helping sustain Russia's war economy, buying cheap oil and gas, while the US profits by selling weapons and energy to Europe.
The major winners in this war are America and China.
The major losers are Ukraine and Russia, the nations doing the fighting and the dying.
It's tragic, it's predictable, wars rarely end, as one side wins, the other surrenders. Wars end when both sides realize they have more to gain through peace than pride. Can the rest of the world realize this, and not just Russia and Ukraine? I believe the answer is yes - if we shift incentives from military spending to energy trade, from sanctions to reconstruction, peace stops being a dream and starts becoming good business. I'm not taking sides. I'm using reason, logic and empathy to find a solution.
If you haven't heard my full conversation with Nikola Mikovic, it sets the stage.
Russia’s Endgame: Nikola Mikovic, The Truth About the War in Ukraine:
Links to Nikola Mikovic
Contributor: Byline Times, CGTN, Diplomatic Courier, Geopolitics & Empire, Global Comment, Lowy Institute, South China Morning Post, Scoon TV, The Times of Central Asia, The Liberum, World Geostrategic Insights
Political Analyst: KJ Reports, Enquire AI
This article helped you think clearly in a noisy world, cut through misinformation, and discover solution as applied to the Russia - Ukraine war.
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