In her recent article titled “Kerry’s next challenge,” Mrs. Heuvel states that amicable relations between Moscow and Washington are beneficial to the US’ national interests.
“Too often US leaders have reached for military confrontation too quickly. What we see in the US right now is a war party growing; war party that is getting restive and calling for a new Cold War or worse.”
“Whether it is the Syrian issues, counter-terrorism, nuclear proliferation these are some of the issues that the US needs to work on, but the question is if there is the political will?”
“America does not have the stomach for a war with Russia. There is only a political and diplomatic resolution to the problem and John Kerry could lead the way.”
Heuvel explained that there has been a group in the US military, in the government and in Congress that has been eager to worsen relations and that has been detrimental to US national security.
“But there are also a number of US leaders who understand that US interests are not served by isolating Russia but by integrating it. Just like John Kerry’s commitment to the US president and his attempts managed to fix relations with Cuba after 55 years of failed relations, there is a possibility of a diplomatic political understanding.”
“The war party is strong in the US, not strong amongst the US people but in the pathways of Washington and in the media and sadly even in the Obama administration. What we need is a diplomacy party.”
Heuvel then talks about how most of America’s problems cannot be solved militarily and thinking that they can is an old mindset. The situation right now is gathering momentum: the US lieutenant commander of the US Army in Europe is planning to train Ukrainian soldiers; there is a shipment of US arms and armaments right on the Russian border. That is a dangerous momentum.”
“When you get military soldiers all ruffed up and you have a war party sitting in Washington, who knows what can happen. There needs to be cooler heads and less bluster. It is important to listen to the people in the US who do not want to fight with Russia.”
She concludes by saying, “The media needs to play a role too. Putin is an authoritarian leader; the demonization of Putin is so simplistic. The failure to understand the many different forces in Russia, the history and the political and social cultural trends allows a simplistic analysis of a country through the prism of one person that is not journalism, not real politics and it is anti-national security.”
