Crisis of the biggest pre-announced episode since the end of the Cold War.

Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, including teenagers’ boys and girls with a gun in hand, are waiting in places very close to the autonomous regions of Eastern Ukraine where the pro-Russian element dominates.

In Russia, the voices that "call" Putin for military intervention are thickening, acting essentially as a harbinger or accelerator of developments, in a rather directed setting.

Thus, on Wednesday, the leader of Russia's ruling United Russia party called on Putin to send the necessary military aid to the self-proclaimed "democracies" of eastern Ukraine "to counter the attack and to defend their citizens."

The statement was made by the chairman of the parliamentary group of the party "United Russia" in the State Duma (lower house) Vladimir Vassiliev.

Vassiliev, "expressing his party's concern" for the protection of the lives of Russian citizens living in the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, said that the State Duma, the parliamentary group, and the party had consulted and "?We must?not abandon the people to the arbitrariness of the Kiev regime."

This is climate that Putin has created for his intention to invade Ukraine, a sovereign country, because as he says, has thousands of pro-Russian citizens who wish to be united with Russia.

This is against all international law. This is how Erdogan and other Authoritarian leaders like Iranians, N. Koreans, Chinese are thinking and acting worldwide.

This is something that all the free world needs to consider and find ways to stop it. Unfortunately, many countries with their tendency to socialism are going away from the good old days when in the west we were ready to fight for our country our family our God and freedom.

We see even members of NATO and EU like Germany to play in ways in-between and keep connections with both sides. This is totally unacceptable. When everything is over, we need to punish them, and make NATO even larger and united with more defense capabilities. We need to be stronger and ready and vigilant to be able to deter other coming wars from China, N. Korea, Iran, Turkey, Islamists. ?

?In the US, on the other hand, they expect Russia to be able?to "use military force"?against Ukraine in some way, "perhaps" by mid-February, US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said today.

"Everything shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin" will use military force at some point, perhaps from now until mid-February, "he said, adding that he did not know if the Russian president had made the" final decision "to launch an attack. .

"?I do not know what is going on in the head of President Putin.?"There is only one person who does it, and that is President Putin himself," he said during an online discussion at Yalta European Strategy, a forum on "Ukraine's European future."?"I think even the people around him do not know what he will do in the end."

The number two US diplomat also said that the Beijing Winter Olympics, which start in early February and the opening ceremony of which Putin will attend, could "have an impact on his schedule and thinking."

"We all know that the Beijing Games start on February 4 with the opening ceremony and President Putin will be there.?"I think President Xi Jinping probably would not be excited if Putin chose to invade Ukraine at that time."

According to the US Secretary of State, despite intense diplomatic talks between the West and Moscow, "Russia is currently continuing to escalate its threat against Ukraine."

As a result, Washington will continue to "push for diplomacy" while "preparing for the worst."

"We are preparing for all scenarios," whether it is a "total invasion" or a partial one, because "?an additional Russian soldier?invading Ukraine is a very serious problem contrary to all the principles of international security," he insisted.

?"It also sends a message to the whole world that other authoritarian (leaders) can act with such impunity," he warned.

He assured that Washington is also preparing "for scenarios of hybrid attacks, overthrow, sabotage, intimidation."

We should pray to God for peace and not wars to happen. After so many deaths with the pandemic we do not need more. But at the same time, we need to be ready and vigilant for the worst-case scenario. We should not leave Ukraine to be dismantled by Putin, because it will also give the wrong message to the other authoritarian leaders, and more wars will follow. ?

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Admiral Peter Kikareas

World Foundation for Peace and Security

Hellenic Aspis & Associates Inc.

Founder & President

www.hellasp.com

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