Analysis | Why Biden and the White House Keep Talking About World War III …

In other words, this topic will not go away. And increasingly, the White House is taking this in a very specific way: the call for a third world war.

Biden briefly touched on the possibility at the beginning of the invasion in late February, telling the interviewer that the choice was between sanctions and “World War III”. Over the past week, both Biden and White House spokesperson Jen Psak have tried to point out repeatedly that no-fly zones and similar measures could or likely will be the start of World War III.

Last week, under pressure to decide not to supply military aircraft to Ukraine, Psaki said: “Well, here I can tell what our assessment is on how to avoid a world war.”

The next day, Biden mentioned World War III four times in two separate conversations.

“The idea that we’re going to send strike gear and planes and tanks and trains with American pilots and American crews, you see … It’s called World War II, okay?” Let’s do it here guys. “” We won’t go into World War II in Ukraine, “he said.

“The start of World War III is certainly not in our national security interests,” Psaki said Monday. On Wednesday, he linked her to a no-fly zone and said: “Potentially requires us to shoot down Russian planes – to shoot down Russian NATO planes. We don’t care about going into World War III.”

There is no doubt that something like a no-fly zone would lead to a direct military conflict between the US and Russia; Even supporters of the idea have given up so much. As to whether this conflict meant another world war, it depends on how you define it.

“I.” World War II did not actually come into popular use until the end of the predominantly European conflict of 1914-1918, then known as the Great War. When a similar conflict broke out in 1939, Time magazine reported that World War II would soon break out, and he suggested that there would be World War II.

Generally, a world war is defined as a war involving many countries of the world and / or some important countries. The war involving the United States and Russia will inevitably involve two of these countries, and without other NATO countries it is difficult to see the United States involved in such a case.

In recent years, this concept has rarely appeared in other conflicts. But not like today. (For example, Biden spoke in 1994 of Bill Clinton’s concerns in Europe. Getting up and blowing up Bosnia’s proposal would lead to World War III. “Sarajevo 1994 is not Sarajevo 1914” – Biden said.)

In many ways, this is a very likely admission of the truth, even if it is sad to hear it. After all, this is Europe’s first major land war in decades, and there are signs that Russia’s intentions go beyond just Ukraine, creating the possibility of conflict with NATO countries, prompting them all to act for common defense. .

But if you write “Three World Wars”, it’s interesting that the interest is still there. not so high Newt Gingrich’s war on terror in the summer of 2006 III. And last week the White House repeated calls on the concept, but the speech didn’t push.

Maybe it’s because it puts people at ease because we don’t actually move in that direction. However, it serves as a useful tool to crack down on any militarism that may arise in the days and weeks to come. No flying zone? Just know what it means. Does Zelensky want more? Just know what it means.

Of course, to understand this, it is necessary to constantly reinforce that this is a fairly real opportunity to speak first. When asked by NBC News Wednesday for Biden’s comments on the risks of World War III, Zelensky disagreed, but suggested it was either inevitable or had already begun.

“Nobody knows if it started earlier,” Zelensky said. And what is the probability of this war if Ukraine falls?

And it also means that any such action you need to take later, no matter how hard you try to rule them out now, will be hard to understand at such a historic escalation rate.

Source: Washington Post

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