By Celsus E. Ohain
Astute and foremost U.S. Diplomat and Scholar, Henry Kissinger once described ‘strategy’ as ‘the mode of survival of a society’. Survival here may relate to economy, politics, social relevance and environment.
You may the ask: Who threatens the survival of who? This can only be answered, not in absolute. But in relative terms.
The subject of discussion today is on Ukraine and Gaza, both of which have become pawns on the superpowers’ chessboard.
Regrettably, the Ukraine-Russia war is still fledging after more than one-and-a-half years while the Hamas-Israeli war has entered its seventh week and is still blazing hot. This is despite an ephemeral truce to secure hostage freedom.
Many, may ask: What strategic maneuverings concerning Gaza and Ukraine all about in this chess-game of global power play.
Yes, proxy wars have always been employed by powerful nations to gain desired leverages. This, notwithstanding the colossal loses in lives and properties entailed therein.
When the opening guns sounded in Ukraine, opinions were sharply divided. These depend on what bloc you sided, on the propriety or otherwise of Russia’s ‘military operation’ that snowballed into a full-fledge war. The raging was is not without a threat from both sides to go nuclear!
Russia claimed a threat to its ‘survival’ due to NATO’s expansion into its sphere of influence whereas NATO allies saw it as Russian aggression against a sovereign state which wanted ‘freedom’.
All should know by now, the undercurrent of that war which has had a heavy toll on Europe’s, nay, World’s economy.
The Gaza ‘outburst’ of Oct. 7, signaled another hotbed of international tension. Although, perspective global affairs analysts have predicted a crisis from that region. As it looks now, there are apparently ‘good’ and ‘bad’ reasons for the Gaza war.
However, those who should know and are competent to express good judgement on such matters know the undercurrents – another proxy war to ‘even scores’, using age-old feud as justifications.
Today, Ukraine is war-battered and wearied; apparently now left in the cold by its NATO allies, who have shifted their attention to Gaza. The shift serves the strategic objective of its equally war-fatigued foe – Russia.
Gaza war has become the focus of world attention. This is as the geo-political value of the Middle East to Western powers, put on the scale, has displaced Ukraine!
As the world counts it’s losses in these crises, the vital question is: Quo Vadis (where do we go from here)?
Ohain, a journalist & author writes from Benin City, Nigeria
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