Fucked Up Geopolitics
There's been a lot of talk these days about the "dispute" between Zelensky and Trump. Naturally, various prominent democratic leaders from the West have quickly rallied to support the humiliated Ukrainian president, who was forcefully told by his U.S. counterpart to "tone it down"...
So here comes the French president, the Spanish one, the German one, and so on, all writing on X or Facebook about their support for the victim of the war with Russia...
Of course, the "fascistoid" Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is currently visiting the British Prime Minister, remains one of the few not to make direct references to the incident on social media, but she speaks more vaguely about how important it is for the West to remain cohesive despite these contingencies.
Today, at a press conference, she reiterated this statement, elaborating further and adding that Trump, after all, uses trade agreements to weave diplomatic relations.
On social media, maps have already appeared showing the countries that (implied, their respective leaders) have publicly supported Ukraine with social media messages regarding what happened with the POTUS.
Naturally, Italy is among the few nations not highlighted on the map, because it is known that in the end, Meloni is a fascist like Trump... Well, this is what is trending on Mastodon and in various leftist circles.
Personally, I consider myself quite politically independent, and I could hardly call myself a supporter of Fratelli D'Italia (Meloni's party) or Trump.
Certainly, while I listen to news about geopolitics while doing household chores, reflecting on this entire situation brings several key points to mind.
First, history has shifted leftward, solely because what was seen as the "old order" (monarchies and republics led by military or aristocratic figures) has been supplanted by a "new order" in which the bourgeoisie has enriched itself and replaced the old nobility in society.
Whether they are entrepreneurs leading multinationals, bankers, or tech tycoons, it matters little: even today, the world turns in that direction, and progressivism is primarily about distancing oneself from what "conservatives" assert.
Those who follow those theories do so much more for the "form" than for the "substance."
Second, all the European leaders who write on social media (let's be clear, not in their own Official Gazette...) that "Trump is bad - long live Ukraine," are merely giving their voters what they want, namely the assurance of being led by "good" people who are "on the right side," without considering that geopolitics is not conducted with the heart, but with the head.
Also, dictators usually operate with their male sexual organ, not their brain.
This leads me to the third point: Giorgia Meloni MAY NOT be a statesman like many today...
Sure, she has made embarrassing communication mistakes in the past (that amusing situation where she turned into Salvini and protested against free entry for Egyptian citizens to the Egyptian Museum in Turin... Ah, what a gaffe!), but in recent years she seems to have focused, at least on an individual level, on her role in the world.
I obviously cannot know if this comes from orders given by "powerful forces," from her psychologist, or from a quirky application of Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies...
I wondered what might happen if, while all the leaders are content to govern in the present, some leader started thinking more long-term, approached the situation between Ukraine and Russia with caution, and didn't simply take sides but reasoned from an objective perspective aimed at achieving a stable balance? Certainly, it seems very difficult, but thinking it through, in the Nineteenth Century, wars lasted around five years, and geopolitical balances changed continuously.
Achieving stability required an awareness left by the two world wars.
I would like to see a right-wing leader so attentive to national interests and yet so mindful that the primary interest is to be an active part in achieving global peace.
If I have to view it from an "impact" perspective, the scene between Zelensky and Trump is blood-curdling, a tragedy, the abandonment of the needy in the hands of their tormentor.
But here we are talking about geopolitics, not criminal law: perhaps Trump has managed to make Zelensky realize that, aside from his role as a victim and the last bulwark between Europe and Russia, he doesn't really have many cards to play.
And those two cards he has are, in my opinion, matters of the "heart."
If one wants to maintain Ukraine's independence while also ensuring peace between the parties, the solution cannot be a bargaining between Ukraine and Russia without ever reaching a compromise.
My own very unpopular opinion is that, if Ukraine wants the help of the USA and EU, the only way is to accept being a bargaining chip between the other parties: "Dear Russia, leave the Ukrainian flag and Ukrainian borders where they are, but take all these very advantageous agreements in exchange, and let's try to get along for once."
Maybe I'm just too optimistic...