The American writer Thomas Friedman said - in an article published in the New York Times - that it is time for Western powers to deal firmly and intelligently with developments in Ukraine, noting that the recent measures taken by the Kremlin go in the direction of making Russia "Korea". Great Northern.

Friedman explained that Russian President Vladimir Putin - officially annexing areas of Ukraine - launched the path of transforming the Russian Federation into a "great North Korea" with 11 time zones and a military arsenal of thousands of nuclear warheads.

He stated that this terrible transformation could not only be considered a "geopolitical" threat, but would also be a major human tragedy that would kill the Russian human energies, which has always dazzled humanity with its creativity in various fields, including culture, art and industry.

Friedman indicated that he would not be surprised if Putin announced his readiness to negotiate after annexing Ukrainian regions, as this escalation - as well as partial mobilization - may be an attempt by him to satisfy his supporters angry at the "military humiliation" that Russian forces have experienced in Ukraine in recent weeks, and at the same time. It may be a maneuver for the success of a favorable negotiated settlement.


control?

He explained that a big problem facing Putin now is the lack of control of his forces over the lands he annexed to Russia, and this means that he cannot make any settlement unless he expels the Ukrainians from all those lands and stops all their attacks, knowing that his army is exhausted in Ukraine and losing lands day after day .

The writer warned that this scenario might make the Russian president feel that he was trapped in a narrow corner that only the use of a nuclear weapon would get him out of.

And Friedman indicated that what Putin did "encourage" Kyiv and its Western allies to continue the war in the winter, to restore the lands occupied by Russia, some of which have been occupied since 2014, even though natural gas supplies will be restricted and prices may reach an astronomical level.

He stressed that a decision such as cutting gas supplies to Western Europe would be disastrous for Russia, which will lose the confidence of its customers who will have to search for alternative means to avoid relying entirely on Russia for the supply of this necessary substance, explaining that confidence in the energy field is the most important currency and losing it means losing it forever.


Settlement or escalation?

Will Ukraine and the West be forced to "close their noses" and make a "dirty" deal with Putin to stop the war, or will direct confrontation continue to perpetuate the principle of the inadmissibility of forcefully seizing other people's lands, thus depriving Putin of any regional achievement?

He said that it is possible that there will be voices calling for Europe to agree to a settlement offer presented by Putin, who seeks to create a rift in the Western position, and at the same time wants to come out with a "victory" that saves his face.

He added that Western leaders are obligated to know when they "veer" off the road so as not to collide with the "driver" coming from the opposite side (Putin), and when they give up "some dignity" for the "other driver";

Until he "skews" and does not collide, even though he ignores all the others.

Friedman stressed that Putin - with his decisions - seems as if he did not leave everyone with a solution but to search for a way to coexist with "Russian North Korea," explaining that this scenario means searching for the maximum possible benefit from this situation, and the best thing about it - explains Friedman - is a scientist. more troubled.