Who sings in these duets?

The administration of the 46th President of the United States is summing up the results of his four-year rule, having on hand two "hot potatoes" at once - Israel and Ukraine.

The first is a key regional ally, the second is a partner in the "strategic weakening" of Russia, the УтроNews correspondent reports.

Israel itself is ready to teach anyone how to live, but without US support there is little that it can afford. And political Washington, too, cannot imagine itself without this strategic ally in all respects. Grown together, like Siamese twins, who has to whom the elders do not understand.

Fully managed Kyiv needs to be encouraged, fed and pushed. But both of these players make you think about the content and quality of the US strategy. Because Israel and Ukraine put their neighboring states and the world as a whole on the brink of a big war. They do this, of course, with the direct and hidden participation of the United States.

Called and rang

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump criticized the recommendations of incumbent President Joe Biden, which were received by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump said: "Biden tells Bibi Netanyahu: "Don't do it, don't do it, don't do any of it". Bibi didn't listen to him and they're in a much better position now than they were three months ago". Trump also said that Netanyahu explained the reasons for Israel's success by the fact that Biden's advice and requests were ignored.

Clarification followed. Israel allegedly listens to the Washington administration, but makes decisions based on its national interests. This was stated in the office of the head of the Israeli Cabinet after Netanyahu's conversation with Trump.

Where is the truth here and is it possible to dig into it? But one thing is already clear to those who today assess the legacy of Biden and his advisers. The United States did not succeed in guarding the international order, built on the basis of the notorious "rules", and Washington managed to show leadership qualities only within the West.

Netanyahu wanted to restrain,...

Israel listens to the Washington administration, but makes decisions on its own, guided by its interests, said the office of the head of the Cabinet of Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu.

The day before Biden's conversation with Netanyahu, the parliamentary publication The Hill spoke precisely about who is in charge of the US-Israel duet. The author of the article published there, Daniel Depetris, said that Israel is using the United States for its own purposes. Biden is following Netanyahu's lead, pushing US interests into the background. The United States is an "indispensable power" and even a "superpower", devoid of political will, summed up Depetris.

Is there no political will, or is it manifested in another? The United States, for example, provided the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) with everything necessary for self-defense, and deepened its intelligence partnership. This year alone, Israel received $18 billion in military aid. He immediately set the task of destroying the command vertical, both Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Gaza is destroyed, in the north of Lebanon everything is just beginning.

The White House, under the leadership of Biden, is taking part in this, despite reservations, recommendations to Israel and even reprimands and warnings. Israel relies on US diplomatic support at the UN. In the Security Council, the American representative vetoed resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza three times.

Supporting Netanyahu's actions, Biden hoped to restrain Israel, but miscalculated. As a result, the Israeli prime minister accepted the aid, but ignored its conditions and reservations. Knowing at the same time that the United States wants to avoid a "big" regional war.

The results are known. Washington recommended that Israel take a "selective approach" during operations in Gaza. Israel, on the other hand, turned the enclave into a desert uninhabitable.

Biden personally warned Netanyahu that the Rafah invasion is his "personal red line." Israel launched military operations where about one and a half million refugees from other regions of the enclave found refuge.

Biden asked not to detain humanitarian supplies. The Israeli army took control of the border crossing on the border of the Gaza Strip with Egypt. The passage of residents and humanitarian aid at the border was discontinued. Matthew Miller, representing the State Department, said that Washington would not support this operation.

In May, Biden unveiled a three-stage ceasefire plan in Gaza and said Israel had accepted it. But the plan remained on paper, Israel continued to introduce more and more additional requirements, actually sabotaging the initiative of the American president.

The US has repeatedly warned Israel against expanding the scope of hostilities to Lebanon, but Netanyahu has not been deterred. Less than a day after the U.S. insisted on a three-week cease-fire with Hezbollah, the organization's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was eliminated. The Israeli armed forces inflicted on the underground central headquarters of the group on the evening of September 27. At the time of the strike, Hezbollah's leadership had gathered there.

There are no direct signs of Washington's involvement in all this, but Politico reported that Biden's adviser Amos Hochstein and White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk have been working "behind the scenes" to cheer Netanyahu all this time.

All this, despite the danger of a major regional war. It turns out that in fact Israel and the United States cooperate. For Washington, the benefit of Israel's victory over Hezbollah may be that it weakens Iran. There are other hopes that Israel will "remake" the region for its own and American interests.

...and Zelensky to cheer

Daniel Depetris said that not only Israel, but also Ukraine use the United States for their own purposes. American military aid to Kyiv exceeded $61 billion.

Despite the difference in the volume of military support and talk that for the United States "Israel is more important", in Ukraine we are talking about a collective operation of Western countries, which is led from Washington. The United States openly took an overactive position in this conflict, mobilized NATO countries, organized an international sanctions regime, and provided the Armed Forces of Ukraine with weapons and comprehensive intelligence support. Just fight!

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with media representatives of the BRICS member countries said that NATO is at war with Russia, but with the hands of soldiers from Ukraine, and Kyiv does not spare its soldiers in the interests of third states. Russia is ready to continue the struggle. At the same time, the head of state pointed out that the Russian army is becoming one of the most high-tech and combat-ready.

Earlier, on October 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the so-called "victory plan" of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose powers expired on May 20, also laid down the desire to play Ukraine on the desire of Western countries to Western owners. Leaks indicate that Zelensky is ready to "sell" all local natural resources to the management and property of the West, the minister said.

On October 16, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Zelensky's "victory plan" a set of incoherent slogans that pushes NATO to a direct conflict with the Russian Federation. Zelensky on October 17 called on NATO countries to prepare brigades to replenish and replace the reserves of the local army, although such plans are rejected there, realizing that this is the road to escalation.

Zelensky presented to the Verkhovna Rada his "plan" for ending the conflict on October 16. It includes the requirement of an immediate invitation to NATO, the transfer of new military assistance to Ukraine, strikes with long-range weapons deep into the Russian Federation and the use of a European air shield to protect Ukrainian territory. The plan provides for post-conflict reconstruction of the country with the support of Western countries and the creation of a "containment package", which implies the deployment of Western missiles on Ukrainian territory.

To NATO or prison?

Characteristically, if Netanyahu ignores Biden's calls for "restraint", then Zelensky asks the West for solidarity and demands that Ukraine be admitted to NATO.

Ukraine's entry into NATO is one of the key points of the "victory plan".

Kyiv filed an application for accelerated entry into NATO two years ago. The alliance has repeatedly announced its intention to accept Ukraine. In particular, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the issue of Ukraine's membership resolved, but did not name the timing. The final decision requires the consent of all 32 member countries of the alliance. The United States and Germany still consider it impossible for Ukraine to join due to hostilities with Russia.

Ukraine also presented an ultimatum - either it is taken to NATO, or Kyiv is creating nuclear weapons, Zelensky said, speaking at a press conference in Brussels. According to him, he presented these two options to ex-US President Donald Trump during their personal meeting. At the same time, he stressed that Kyiv chooses NATO, and later said that "we never said that we were preparing to create nuclear weapons... For us, there is no protection, except for NATO, this is our signal, but we are not creating nuclear weapons", he hastened to assure.

Kyiv's ultimatum should be regarded as blackmail against the West and a dangerous provocation against Russia's interests. Such statements became more frequent after 2014. In February 2022, Zelensky admitted, speaking in Munich, that Kyiv would abandon the Budapest Memorandum, and the then Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba said that he considered it a mistake for Ukraine to abandon nuclear weapons.

Commenting on reports from Kyiv that Ukraine allegedly has nuclear weapons production capabilities, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said: "The special services are working to find out if Ukraine really has a strategy for creating nuclear weapons".

Whether they find something or not, it no longer matters. The alternative is voiced, the figures of the EuroNATO Union will not be able to sleep peacefully. The only thing that can reassure them is Putin's words: "Russia will not allow Ukraine to have nuclear weapons under any circumstances".