Portnikov: Global confrontation between democracies and dictatorships inevitable

The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war is driving a global escalation of conflicts that will shape the confrontation between the civilized world and dictatorships for decades to come, stated Vitaly Portnikov, a well-known Ukrainian journalist, political commentator, and analyst, laureate of the Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, during an interview on Espreso TV.

Ukraine is a target of destruction for Russia, and “this will not change,” Portnikov said, adding that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is determined to wage war in Ukraine at any cost.

“What he specifically plans to do with Ukraine is unclear, but his ultimate goal is to destroy our state and use any weapon – except possibly nuclear ones at this stage – to achieve it. This will remain unchanged in the years ahead,” he said.

Portnikov also warned that Russia might take actions in February or March that could significantly escalate the situation in the Middle East and further globalize the conflict.

“An escalation on the Korean Peninsula is also possible, which could lead to a broader, more global conflict by mid-2025,” he added.

Portnikov emphasized that U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS ballistic missiles to strike deep within Russia signals that his administration’s analysts recognize the inevitability of the war’s global expansion. 

They are preparing Ukraine for participation in a larger-scale conflict that will surpass the current war in both scale and consequences.

“The continued Russo-Ukrainian war is accelerating the globalization of conflicts worldwide, which will shape the future confrontation between the civilized world and dictatorial regimes,” he said. “This will not only affect Ukrainians, who are already participants and hostages in this conflict, but millions of people in other countries as well.”

Earlier, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis expressed caution about the U.S. granting Ukraine the ability to strike Russia with ATACMS missiles, saying, “we don’t know the actual number of missiles Ukraine has. The real question is whether enough missiles have been provided.”