Biden, the most dangerous man for peace in Europe

The impatient desire to simplify too soon, to find explanations at an insufficient depth,
leads to enormous errors … In their eagerness to find a simple explanation for what occurs, men are tempted to select only one of these forces and say: “this is the only force at work” (Aldous Huxley “Causes of War”)

Biden’s unusual defence for further escalation in New York Times
On May 31 President Biden had an unusual Guest Essay in the New York Times. One wonders if the essay is meant to explain why he dared promise to give the Ukrainians what they craved for. In this instance Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) to outrange the Russians.
Here some excerpts followed by critical comments attempting to show why this latest escalatory move by the Biden administration may lead Russia to a reciprocal escalation, that may endanger not just peace in Ukraine, but in Europe and the rest of World.
 
Biden’s arguments for daring to escalate
President Biden: “America’s goal is straightforward: We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression.”
 
Comment: How will this ever be possible without some sort of accommodation with Russia? And how is this going to happen when escalating the proxy war?
Biden argues like Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who once said the United States wanted “to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine.” This certainly does not bode well for future peaceful relations with Russia?
What has the Biden actually done to promote an accommodation with Russia?
Apparently, nothing. Instead, Biden recklessly acts without thoughts about the future relation with a humiliated Russia. A Russia armed to the teeth with extremely powerful nuclear weapons, that won’t go away. What is the chance that it will give up in Ukraine? What the risk that it will escalate?  One thing is for sure, the U.S. is at moment driving Russia into the arms of a China striving after World hegemony.  Does Europe really want that to happen, or do they realise that Russia may be so important for Europe, that some form of accommodation must reached even at  the cost that Ukraine will have to limit its ambitions in the war.   
 
President Biden: “My principle throughout this crisis has been “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” I will not pressure the Ukrainian government — in private or public — to make any territorial concessions. It would be wrong and contrary to well-settled principles to do so …
Standing by Ukraine in its hour of need is not just the right thing to do. It is in our vital national interests to ensure a peaceful and stable Europe and to make it clear that might does not make right.”
 
Comment: To support Ukraine in making “No territorial concession” seems certain to crush any hope of an accommodation with Russia. Together with the ongoing escalation of U.S. deliveries of weapons to Ukraine it will instead support President Zelensky and FM Kuleba in making new outrageous demands. Looking at Zelensky’s many outpourings it sems that he becomes more willing to negotiate, when Russia has the overhand, but uncompromising when Ukraine looks be winning the proxy on behalf of the U.S.
To be sure, it is in our all interest to ensure a peaceful Europe, but what Biden is doing is instead sure to escalate the present war. In fact Biden seems prefer to follow a bizarre ”1984” logic: “War is Peace.”
 
President Biden: “We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table. That’s why I’ve decided that we will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine.”
He then bizarrely argues. “We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia … We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders. We do not want to prolong the war just to inflict pain on Russia.”
 
Comment: What Biden is talking about is his decision, after some hesitation, to dare to provide Ukraine with HIMARS M142 (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), a lighter and more mobile version of MLRS M270 (Multiple Launch Rocket System).
These systems carry launch pods for precision guided long range rockets. It seems that the decision means that Ukraine will only get rockets with a limited range (perhaps up to70 kilometres. Not extended range rockets that could reach 300-499+ kilometres and thus reach Russian territory).
In any case Ukraine would get rockets able to outrange Russian howitzers, that is the whole point, given the present Russia artillery onslaught in Eastern Ukraine.
This means a further escalation of the war in Ukraine, perhaps enabling the Ukraine to once more force the Russians backwards, this time in Eastern Ukraine.
How will the Russians react, be more inclined to seek peace or be more inclined to escalate?
If Biden’s escalation of the proxy war means that Russia will be eyeing a new setback or even outright defeat, there is certainly a risk of reciprocal attempts to escalate.
 A grim spectre may even emerge. Russia may choose to “escalate to de-escalate,” meaning use a tactical nuclear demonstration in the kiloton range in some part of Ukraine to tell the West: If you don’t to de-escalate after this, you will risk the prospect of a nuclear war.
 (See my essay “A cocksure West risking catastrophe” at  https://wahrnehmungen.weebly.com/blog/a-cocksure-west-risking-catastrophe ).
Biden apparently brushes the possibility aside.
 
President Biden: “I know many people around the world are concerned about the use of nuclear weapons. We currently see no indication that Russia has intent to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine …
Let me be clear: Any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict on any scale would be completely unacceptable to us as well as the rest of the world and would entail severe consequences.”
 
Comment: “severe consequences.” Yes, certainly, but before that happens one would hope that the hitherto docile Europeans still clinging with some enthusiasm to the Biden proxy war bandwagon, would finally realise the catastrophic outlook and choose de-escalation. Distancing themselves from both Ukraine and Biden to avoid a nuclear war in Europe.
Like Macron and to some degree Scholz, they should cool the European enthusiasm for war, and distance themselves from a Biden escalation that would threaten to humiliate Russia.
It pays to remember what the former, well-respected German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt once said about Russia: “Russland ist eine Weltmacht und wird es bleiben.” Arguing with Russia’s enormous geographical size and its enormous natural resource potential.
 
 
Well, this essay may also be impatient in its desire to simplify too soon, but at least it does not risk a catastrophic outcome.

Addendum  June2
New German  weapon deliveries in the wake of Biden’s promises
Just after Biden announced that Ukraine would get HIMARS It was annouced that Ukraine would get four Bundeswehr MARS-II (Mittleres Artillerieraketensystem), similar to the U.S. MLRS’s, and armed with two launch pods each containing 6 rockets.
In the Bundestag Chancellor also Scholz also announced that Ukraine is getting IRIS-T Germany’s most up to date SLS/SLM short to medium-range surface-to-air defence systems. A single system he said would be able to defend a whole city.
Germany is also supposed to deliver Counter Battery Radar systems, which will allow Ukrainian forces to pinpoint the location of say Russian Howitzers (perhaps in order to hit them with guided rockets launched from the MARS-II and HIMARS).