The last war
I believe that most peace advocates in the world were very disappointed after the conclusion of the 59th session of the Munich Security Conference, which was held from 17 to 19 February 2023, in which dozens of heads of state and government, foreign and defense ministers, and security and military officials from nearly (96) countries participated. Where they expected to find the necessary and necessary mechanisms to bring views closer between Russia and China on the one hand, and the West on the other, to achieve the main goal upon which the Munich Security Conference was based in its first session in 1963 in Munich, and it was called the “Munich Conference on Security Policy” under the slogan “Peace.” Through dialogue.
Not only in the first session of the Munich Security Conference, but also over the past four decades, successive calls for exchanging views and “dialogue for peace” have continued by the most important decision-makers in international security policies, as more than 350 prominent personalities attended each year. At least from more than 70 countries discussing current and future global security challenges that have the highest priority, and setting a practical agenda that includes searching for practical solutions to security risks that threaten the world, and I remember that the Munich Security Conference in its 2016 session strongly discussed topics such as the conflict between NATO Russia, security in Syria and the fight against ISIS, as well as the situation in the Middle East, North Korea’s nuclear program and security problems in Africa, in addition to refugee crises.
In 2017, the conference was discussed at its 53rd session – in the presence of 30 heads of state and government, nearly 60 representatives of international organizations and 65 business leaders, and in the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and US Vice President Mike Pence. And US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and many other decision-makers, who researched for peace – global health risks, counterterrorism, Middle East affairs and Iran, as well as China’s foreign policy and US foreign policy toward Russia.
Disappointment for the men and pacifists who know that the war in Ukraine as well as the escalation between the United States and China will truly be the end of the world! It will not be a third world war in the traditional sense, but rather it will be the “last war” that will wipe out the entire world, as advocates of war ignore that advanced weapons today are not the same as in 1914 or 1939, but rather they are nuclear, biological, chemical, radiological and tactical weapons that can within hours eliminate The whole human race, without any room for retreat, and this threat is real and the world is separated from it only a very small part of fragile sanity!
Reasonable people and peace advocates hoped that Russia would be invited – in an unacceptable manner – to sit at the discussion table to open one small page that would be the beginning of hope for the end of the devastating war in Ukraine. Instead, most of the statements and statements issued by the Munich Security Conference poured oil on the fire. And pushing for further escalation against Russia by discussing mechanisms for providing weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, where the US government announced that “Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine, which are crimes against humanity, and that justice must be achieved and the perpetrators held accountable,” which means a transition to a high-level crisis between Russia and the United States. And it will be a prelude to prosecuting Russian leaders as war criminals under international law, in order to reach the issuance of UN resolutions that may revoke the international immunity of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime. As happened in Tokyo, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sudan.
There is no doubt that Russia will not stand idly by in the face of this, as the “New START” treaty to limit nuclear arms between America and Russia will immediately evaporate, and Russia will resort to more escalation that will break the “fragile sanity” and bring about the end of the world!
The United Arab Emirates does not want the world to be drawn into that recent war. Rather, it seeks, thanks to its wise leadership, to fix everything that can be fixed between Russia and Ukraine, Russia and NATO, China and the United States, and the Emirati diplomatic channels strive to make efforts after efforts to stop the war in Ukraine and calm the growing escalation.
I believe that the capital, Abu Dhabi, is a strong candidate to host and organize an international security forum whose motto is “Dialogue for the sake of human fraternity.” Political and security leaders, the United Nations, peace advocates, and peace lovers around the world are invited to it. Russia, America, China, European Union countries, Israel, Iran, and all personalities, states, and parties who can Acceptance of peace as a substitute for the recent war whose smell has begun to frighten humanity!
* Retired Air Force Major General
#war