« THE
ART OF WAR »
The
Stone Guest at the table with Italy and Russia
by
Manlio Dinucci
« I
consider it very important for us to meet a strategic partner like the
Federation of Russia, and also necessary, in order to work out solutions to the
main regional crises » - such was the statement by Prime Minister Giuseppe
Conte at the joint Press conference following his meeting with Vladimir Putin
on 24 October in Moscow. A fundamental question which has to be resolved, he
emphasised, is « the crisis in Ukraine, which has provoked discussion
about the basis of the relations between the European Union and Russia ».
But, « despite the persistence of the reasons that led to the European
sanctions, an instrument which must be abandoned as soon as possible »,
the bilateral relationship between Italy and Russia remains
« excellent ».
These
declarations bring to mind those of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi during a round
table with President Putin in Saint Petersbourg in 2016 : « The term
Cold War is now absent from History and also from reality. The EU and Russia
should be excellent neighbours ». These declarations were borrowed by
diplomats and amplified by Moscow, in an attempt to reduce tension :
« Conte in Moscow, the alliance with Russia is stronger than ever »,
was the 25 October headline of the Russian Press agency Sputnik, which spoke of
a « 360-degree visit ». In reality, it was a 180-degree visit,
because Conte (like Renzi in 2016) presented himself as the head of a member
state of the European Union, and restricted his visit to economic agreements
with Russia. The Prime Minister avoided mentioning the fact that Italy is a
member of NATO, under command of the United States, a country that Conte's government considers as a
« privileged ally », with which he has established « a strategic cooperation, almost a twin
partnership ».
Thus, at the
table with Italy and Russia was seated the Stone Guest, the « privileged
ally » closely followed by Italy. So nothing was said about the fact that
on 25 October - the day after Prime Minister Conte, in Moscow, had qualified
the state of bilateral relations between Italy and Russia as
« excellent » - Italian armed forces began the war game Trident
Juncture 2018 with other NATO
forces, under US command, and directed against Russia. This an exercise
in which the US and NATO bases in Italy play a major part. There was no mention
either of the fact that on 25 October – the day after Prime Minister Conte, in
Moscow, had qualified Russia as a « strategic partner », his
government, in Brussels, participated in the North Atlantic Council which, on
the basis of « information » supplied by the USA, unanimously accused
Russia of violating the INF Treaty with « behaviour destabilising for our
security ».
The Conte
government thus supported de facto the US plan to abandon the INF Treaty
and once again to deploy in Europe (including Italy) medium range nuclear
missiles pointed at Russia. These missiles will be added to the new B61-12
nuclear bombs that the United States will begin to deploy, as from March 2020,
in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Holland and probably other European countries,
always with an anti-Russia objective.
At the Press
conference, responding to a journalist, Putin was very clear – the European
countries which accept to deploy US medium range nuclear missiles on their
territory would be endangering their own security, because Russia would be
ready to riposte. Conte assured that « Italy lives with the anxiety of
this conflict and will do everything possible to ensure that a window for
dialogue remains open ».
One supposes
that this is what he is doing - by preparing to house and use, under US
command, the new B61-12 nuclear bunker-buster bombs to destroy Russian
underground facilities and command centres.
Il
manifesto, October 2018
Translator: Pete Kimberley
Courtesy: Réseau Voltaire
Courtesy: Réseau Voltaire
NO WAR NO NATO
Manlio Dinucci
Geographer and geopolitical scientist. His latest books are: Laboratorio di geografia, Zanichelli 2014 ; Diario di viaggio, Zanichelli 2017 ; L’arte della guerra / Annali della strategia Usa/Nato 1990-2016, Zambon 2016, Guerra Nucleare. Il Giorno Prima 2017; Diario di guerra Asterios Editores 2018.
No comments:
Post a Comment