Whenever I explain to people that NATO wanted war between Ukraine and Russia, referring them to this 'Rand-Corporation' advice aptly labeled 'Overextending and Unbalancing Russia', and other proof, I get plenty of pushback. In Holland it is rare to speak to someone who has even heard of the 'Rand-Corparation', or if they've heard of it they think it is 'into computers or something'? No, it is the preeminent 'Think Tank' offering 'policy advice' to the US administration related to dealing with other countries and the 'Balance of Power'. They promote themselves as providing 'Objective Analysis, and Effective Solutions'.
So they looked into the options NATO had to 'Overextend' and 'Unbalance' Russia, since that was a desirable state, apparently. And using Ukraine as bait listed as an 'Effective Solution'. However, they miscalculated, and here we are. But, as I acknowledged previously, many 'leaders' of NATO-countries thinking highly of themselves, may not even have seen this plan. Yet they did sign off on all the policy decisions required to make it happen. They maintain that they never saw this coming, and that they blame Russia. All their votes in favour of the steps required to tease Russia into a military conflict with Ukraine were motivated with other goals in mind. Like pleasing the other 'leaders', or dragging 'favours' for their country from the fire.
Therefore that group of 'leaders' can be dismissed as ignorant and not influential, no matter how highly they think of themselves. They are cattle, driven in the correct direction by the real cowboys and their vicious dogs. Together with the people they claim to lead. As was Zelensky. Nobody made him read a copy of 'Overextending and Unbalancing Russia', asking him to add his paragraph under the text, I suppose. Or he didn't understand Ukraine was used as bait, with no formal NATO protection, only cheerleaders.
NATO-planners assumed that 'Sanctions from Hell' would actually do the 'heavy lifting'. These Rand-Thugs actually assumed plenty. On my Dutch language part of this blog I warned against these plans from almost immediately after the coup in Kiev in 2014. On multiple occasions. And there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Russians were well aware of where all of this was leading up to. So, the Russians knew, those in charge of NATO's policy knew. And no doubt selected leaders from European NATO-countries knew. Difficult to say how many. And if they had the 'complete set' of policy-papers, enabling them to see every step which led to this outcome, or merely some kind of 'Readers Digest' version prepared for them by a 'trusted employee'.
This was already a very undesirable situation, but since the plan unravelled, entirely, with every assumption out-of-the-ballpark wrong, or effectively countered by the Russians who came prepared, it became scary. Those who decided to go ahead with the plan were 'leading from behind', nudging the cattle into the coral, while allowing these bulls and cows to think they were actually running the show. Pressuring Hungary, rewarding the Dutch with a pat on the shoulder. And Biden to 'old' to understand anything, von der Leyen proud to be part of the team 'as a woman'. Boris Johnson spent currency. Zelensky slowly, but too late, and formally out of a job, discovering that none of it was about Ukraine, ever, and in denial.
So who do you call if you want to talk to someone in the west who has some authority, some credibility left? Instead all these people are now acting like unguided missiles previously in storage, on the inside looking out, but now hit by a Russian FAB, launching themselves in various directions, unable to return to anything even remotely resembling something you might call a policy-center. And no options. Allow me this observation that the elections in Europe next week, and those in November in the USA, are likely to make matters worse. To regain control over this renegade organisation called NATO is a Herculean task, if it can be done. Functional euthanasia should be considered. Take away these matches from those toddlers, and start over.