TEHRAN - A professor at the Lebanese International University says Western capitals are reluctant to respond militarily to the Ukraine crisis as they know well the rules of military balance.

“Washington and London did not react militarily, because they know well the rules of a military balance,” Tariq Aboud tells the Tehran Times.  

“In all the wars that Washington has been engaged in the past decades, from Vietnam and Cambodia through Yugoslavia and Afghanistan to Iraq and Libya, America has encountered nothing but collapsed foes, hollow and weak states and armies.”

Aboud is of the opinion that the case is completely different when it comes to Russia; “so we have only heard statements, strong condemnations, and loud political rhetoric, as well as economic sanctions that may not work to change the balance of power on the ground.”

Russia has launched an all-out military operation in Ukraine by land, air, and sea, the biggest attack in Europe since World War II.

 The attacks began on February 24 after Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address that he had approved a “special military operation”. The move came after Moscow earlier recognized rebel-held territories in Luhansk and Donetsk and said they had asked for its help.

Following is the text of the interview:

Q: How do you read the course of recent developments in Ukraine?

A: We are still in the early days of a fierce war fought over an area of 600,000 square kilometers. We need to wait for the dust of the first round of war to settle, then we can analyze it vividly.

Russia seeks to disarm Ukraine, prevent it from joining NATO, and prevent NATO from installing missiles under the nose of Moscow. Today, the world is lying on a hot plate, witnessing a complex mixture of escalating tensions for a number of reasons, the most important of which is the retreat of the United States of America in more than one arena, the last of which is the withdrawal from Afghanistan after two decades of its occupation of this poor country, add to it America’s defeat in Iraq, after destroying the country.

Q: Do you think that the Russian military operation in Ukraine indicates the birth of new world order?

A: This depends on the results of the war. If Moscow achieves its goals, we will be facing a new reality in the international arena, and we can expect to see the cues of a new world order that will come as result. Here the role of China in the international scene is significant.

Q: What are the main goals that Russia is seeking in Ukraine, and how far will Russia advance?

A: Russia's goals can be summarized in a number of steps, namely disarming Ukraine, preventing the Ukrainian government from obtaining a nuclear weapon, barring Ukraine from joining NATO, and preventing NATO from installing missiles and military and security bases under the nose of the Moscow. This is what Russia will never allow.

Q: Why did the Western-American alliance avoid responding militarily to what they describe as the Russian invasion?

A: Washington and London did not react militarily, because they know well the rules of a military balance.  

In all the wars that Washington has been engaged in the past decades, from Vietnam and Cambodia through Yugoslavia and Afghanistan to Iraq and Libya, America has encountered nothing but collapsed foes, hollow and weak states and armies.

But the case is completely different when it comes to Russia, so we have only heard statements, strong condemnations, and loud political rhetoric, as well as economic sanctions that may not work to change the balance of power on the ground.

Q: Why the world is witnessing such a fuss over the war in Ukraine while the Western powers and media turn a blind eye on the war against Yemen and the crimes committed by the Saudi-led coalition?

A: This fuss is made because the world is living in a state of hypocrisy and double standards. When the issue is related to the allies of Washington and London, we witness media hypes, talk about civilians and human rights, and transgression of international law.

All of this is happening because there is a flaw in international balances, and the unipolar dominance of the world depends on power and force rather than reason.