War or Peace, Strength is Key

 

President of the European Council Antonio Costa, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the 2025 NATO Summit at The Hague on 24 June, 2025

 

War or Peace, Strength is Key

Deepak Razdan

Tuesday, 24 June, 2025

Peace through strength. The New World is writing a new set of rules for its future. But it still believes in some old conventions while dealing with threat perceptions about national security.

The United States, the New World leader, last weekend employed the doctrine of peace through strength to drop bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s three suspected nuclear bomb making sites.

The objective was “destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity, and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's No. 1 state sponsor of terror,” President Donald Trump said in his address to the nation on 21 June, 2025.

The US wants, the President said, "Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.”

The display of strength by the US was for peace. President Trump said "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.”

“If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes,” he said.

Explaining the President’s actions, Vice President J D Vance last Sunday told the media that “We do not want war with Iran.”

Mr Vance said “We actually want peace, but we want peace in the context of them not having a nuclear weapons program — and that’s exactly what the President accomplished last night.”

He spoke on the strikes: “We’re not at war with Iran … We destroyed the Iranian nuclear program … and we did it without endangering the lives of American pilots. That’s an incredible thing.”

The Iranians were not taking diplomatic initiatives seriously, he said. “They weren’t taking this seriously. They were trying to draw this process out as long as possible so they could rebuild their nuclear weapons program without the threat of American action,” Mr Vance said.

The US action in Iran has been supported by The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the 32-nation defensive military alliance of North America and Europe, currently holding a two-day (24-25 June) Summit of heads of State and government at The Hague.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said there was no violation of international law in the US action. Congratulating Mr Trump, he said “thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer.”

Iran should not have its hands on a nuclear weapon, this has been a consistent position of the NATO, Mr Rutte said. Allies have agreed that Iran must not develop a nuclear weapon and Iran must meet its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, he said.

Shaken by Russia’s war against Ukraine continuing for more than three years, the NATO Summit attended by the US President, is mainly addressing the issue of raising defence expenditure by member-States to five per cent of their GDPs.

In keeping with the doctrine of peace through strength, NATO members are committed to safeguarding the freedom and security of all Allies, against all threats, from all directions.

They are doing so by maintaining a credible deterrence and defence posture based on an appropriate mix of nuclear, conventional and missile defence capabilities, complemented by space and cyber capabilities.

NATO says it faces the most dangerous security environment since the end of the Cold War. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has shattered peace in Europe and has gravely undermined global security.

There is a coordinated campaign to destabilise Europe and North America, and weaken the transatlantic Alliance. The NATO Secretary General says repeatedly, “We are not at war, but we are not at peace either.”

NATO has identified Russia as the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security.  China is substantially growing its military capabilities, including its nuclear weapons, with no transparency or limitations.

“The deepening strategic partnership between Russia and China, and their increasing defence industrial cooperation with Iran and North Korea, are a cause for profound concern,” NATO documents say.

In a joint statement with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the NATO Secretary General, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen supported Ukraine and lauded its defence industry.

Ukraine recently engineered a surprise attack by its drones on Russian defence airfields where fighter planes were parked.

The EU and NATO leaders told Mr Zelenskyy that “Your industry has demonstrated a remarkable ability to innovate, and to produce rapidly, reliably, and at scale. There is much we in Europe can learn from Ukraine in this regard. Through this programme, we aim not only to strengthen our mutual defence capabilities but also to support Ukraine in its on-going fight for survival.”

“Second, there is constant financial support to Ukraine because we know you are fighting a war that is also protecting our values and our principles,” the joint statement said.

“And thirdly, indeed we have to put pressure on President Putin, that he comes to the negotiation table and that he is engaging seriously in negotiations for a just and lasting peace. Therefore, the 18th sanctions package is a biting one. I know that our G7 friends will follow suit with their sanctions,” the EU and NATO leaders told the Ukraine President.

The NATO including the US has made much preparation to avoid future wars by raising its military strength and using it for deterrence purpose. The major powers are however unable to use their strength in such a way as to stop an existing war, like the Russia-Ukraine war, and bring peace to a large humanity which continues to suffer without hope.  

News from Canada:

Canada remains top favourite of Indians desiring to emigrate for bigger opportunities of work and prosperity. They may be interested in being informed about latest developments in Canada. Based on official sources, a short recount of events is given here.

Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney was sworn in alongside members of the 30th Canadian Ministry on 14 March, 2025 at a ceremony presided by Governor General Mary Simon.

The Prime Minister and Canada’s new government are focused on creating more higher-paying jobs, building new trade relationships with reliable partners, and making Canada more secure.

Concerned about protecting Canada’s sovereignty and integrity in view of US President Donald Trump’s suggestions to make Canada a part of the United States as its 51st State, Mr Carney has paid attention to strengthening Canada’s political and economic unity.

He visited Iqaluit, Nunavut on March 18, 2025 saying “we need to reaffirm Canadian sovereignty by strengthening our military, bolstering our Arctic security, and unleashing the North’s economic potential.”

Since the announcement of new tariffs by President Trump, Mr Carney has been meeting world leaders and Canadian allies. He invited King Charles III to inaugurate Canada’s 45th Parliament on 27 May. In his meeting with Mr Trump, he told him that “Canada is not for sale.”

Canada’s House of Commons passed One Canadian Economy Act on 20 June, 2025. The legislation will build one strong Canadian economy by:

“Removing federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility, helping goods, services, workers, and businesses move freely across provinces and territories; Expediting nation-building projects that will connect and transform the country and unleash economic growth while ensuring environmental protections and Indigenous rights are upheld; and Working with Indigenous Peoples through consultation and engagement to build shared prosperity.”

The Bill now moves to the Senate for consideration and will bring the country one step closer to removing federal barriers to free trade by Canada Day, 1st July. Canada Day is celebrated on this day as in 1867, four of Great Britain's North American colonies joined together as a new country.