The high-level meeting between the US and Russia, aimed resetting frosted bilateral relations and also thrash out mechanism to end the Ukraine war, could mark the reconfiguration of the international world order.
The side-lining of Europe and NATO and also casting aside the elephant in the room – Ukraine – whilst determining the Kiev’s future has far-reaching geopolitical implications.
Defense analyst Michael Maloof, who is also former Russian Department of Defense official, believes the much-anticipated US-Russia meeting in Riyadh could also mark “the beginning of the end of NATO” amid the unfolding global developments.
Maloof said the Riyadh talks showed that Washington recognizes that “Russia and the US, not Europe, much less the Zelensky regime, are the strategic partners critical to ending the Ukraine conflict”.
He said the talks, spearheaded by the Trump administration in keeping with the US President’s election promises, shows that Washington is prepared to “fix a broken relationship” by treating Russia as “strategic equals – not talking down to them as the Biden administration did”.
As Washington reset relations with Moscow, Europe will suffer the most. An emergency meeting of European leaders called by the `French President Emmanuel Macron this week laid bare the extent of panic within the EU. Europe wants to be part of any resolution the US and Russia could reach in ending the Ukraine. However, so far Europe has been isolated, left frustrated and wondering what the future holds in the trans-Atlantic relations.
Divisions within the bloc are inevitable. Maloof explained: “32 countries will never be able to arrive at a unanimous decision on anything, given the realities on the ground today. And we see that now. There is no cohesiveness in NATO nor in the EU.”
Until recently, buoyed by the fiercely anti-Russian former US President Joe Biden, NATO was the loudest in criticizing Russia and even threatening Moscow with their bloc’s military might.
President Trump has accused his predecessor of supporting a “foolish war” and risking a “Third World War”.
