The Triangle of America, Russia, and Ukraine
The Triangle of America, Russia, and Ukraine
The tragedy of Ukraine is one of the most sorrowful events of the past half-century that offers lessons and reflection. Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia and the eighth in terms of population in Europe. It is a country with a three-thousand-year-old civilization that is the most important geopolitical link in the communication and security chain between Russia and the West. It is a country with the world’s largest, richest, and most diverse mineral resources.
Half of Russia’s iron and steel are supplied from Ukraine’s resources. Forty percent of the world’s manganese resources are in this country. There are over 8,000 mines with 90 types of minerals in this country, the most important of which are coal, nickel, iron, manganese, and especially titanium. More importantly, it has black soil, which is known as the most fertile soil in the world, requiring no fertilizers.
Ukraine alone holds a quarter of the world’s black soil, and this feature has turned Ukraine into the largest grain producer in Europe and the world. Indeed, this fertile soil and unique mines have become the national capital of this country. Ukraine is also considered the energy hub of Europe and an important source for transferring gas from Russia to Europe.
This excellent geopolitical and economic position has turned Ukraine into a place of conflict and struggle between the West and Russia. However, the lack of political management after independence has led to a great tragedy for this country, such that today, after the Russian invasion, important areas of this country’s land have been occupied by Russia, its economy is completely damaged, and it faces an uncertain and insecure future.
In recent days, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has humiliated Ukraine by announcing his conditions for supporting the security of Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, the President of Ukraine. Trump, by endorsing Russia’s territorial occupations, wants Ukraine to cede ownership of 50% of its unique mines, such as titanium, nickel, and manganese, to the United States and to give up its request to join NATO.
In fact, the United States and Russia, by dividing interests in Ukraine, have practically turned this country into a new colony. The experience of Ukraine is a bitter one that can be a lesson for all countries.
The first important lesson that can be learned from the tragedy of Ukraine is that war in regions of economic and geopolitical importance never ends, and peace and tranquility are never achieved. The second lesson is that promises, slogans, and commitments of great powers should not be trusted, as these promises change at any time and according to their needs and conditions. The third lesson is that great powers have common interests that they do not share with anyone but consider exclusive to themselves and redefine all tools to ensure them.
The fourth and most important lesson from the tragedy of Ukraine is that the only friend and ally of great powers are their interests, nothing else. As a result, countries in situations similar to Ukraine should not imagine or believe that they can secure their interests and independence through alliances with them.
Doubt is the greatest wisdom in relations with powers, and being strong is in accepting this reality that one should only rely on the people and their demands. The importance of the tragedy of Ukraine for us lies in the similarity of our situation and conditions with this country.
Iran, with its excellent geopolitical position, is the crossroads of communication among four major powers: Europe, the United States, China, and Russia. It has diverse reserves and mines and a great geographical diversity. It holds one of the world’s largest fossil fuel reserves, has a civilization history of several thousand years, and is undoubtedly the most pristine land for investment.
It has a capable human workforce, and all of these are tempting for great powers. What is important and vital for us today is the necessity of correct and wise management of internal developments, avoiding polarization and extremism, preventing warlike tendencies, learning the values and importance of global diplomacy, creating social solidarity, fully utilizing all national and human capacities, and accepting the reality that what is important and vital and guarantees our independence and national interests, honor, dignity, resilience, and endurance is the national interest and the welfare of the people.
Any force or movement that wants to drag Iran into a conflict and war with the United States, Israel, or any other power is opening a path to Iran’s destruction. Any force, movement, or group that wants to rely on a global power to portray Iran as assured of maintaining its independence is making a historical mistake.
Iran, to pass through this important historical period, needs wisdom in internal management more than anything else, and this is not possible unless with precise, immediate, and serious reform of internal policies and trust and reliance on the people, in action, not just words and slogans. Iran and its independence are important; let’s believe this before it is too late.
