By Rabi Raj Thapa

The summit on Ukraine peace held in August 2022 in Switzerland excluded one of the warring parties Russia. Then China excused itself and opined that Russian presence would have added conference value. Instead, US President Joe Biden slammed the Russian ceasefire formula and his National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan blamed Putin for defying the UN Charter and basic morality.

Now, the United States of America and Russia are set to discuss the future of Ukraine in Saudi Arabia from February 18, 2025.  

Before November 20, 2024, it was impossible to imagine the US President and Russian President talking to each other for ninety minutes by telephone on nobody knows what. This is more surprising that both countries have excluded both Ukraine and EU member countries from taking part in the meeting.

This has clearly surfaced a void in the US transatlantic relations. During 61st Munich Security Conference held in Germany (February 14-16, 2025), the Chairman Ambassador Christopher Heusgen blamed Putin for destroying European security architecture. In the opening address, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier openly expressed his displeasure with Trump by saying, “Diplomacy is not a cage fight. Our eye fixed on the White House each morning’s news since January 20 has left everyone wondering what is coming next and who is next...”

In the conference, US Vice-President JD Vance defended US policy adopted by Donald Trump in strong words that surprised his EU and NATO allies present. He countered them all by saying, “We must do more than talk on democratic values and must live with it”!  Regarding burden sharing on war and all, he said, “burden sharing is an important part of being in a shared alliance together with the European Union stepping up while America has to focus on the other areas of the world in danger”.

One pertinent question that challenged his EU and NATO colleagues was, “What is that we are defending and what do you need to defend yourselves from? That is important”.

This has always been a paradox for all that the most powerful countries in the world fear most, feel most insecure and always busied themselves with more arms production and install more military industries.   

Vice-President Vance's opinion regarding the nation’s security is relevant to both big and small countries like Nepal. He opined, "There is no security if you are afraid of the voices, opinion and concern of your voters; if you are running in fear, there is nothing you can do for your country, nor there is anything you can do for the people who elected you as leaders." His words sounded valid for our Nepali politicians who feel and take themselves as the champions of the Federal Republic of Nepal they created which is faltering like failed states of today’s world.  

As a side effect of the US-Russia bilateral dialogue, Ukraine's President has scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia by himself and the EU member countries have called an emergency brainstorming session of European leaders in the French capital Paris, not Brussels, where NATO’s strong power no longer seems to be a reliable ally.

What lesson Nepal and Nepali leaders can learn from this? Nepal must stop playing foreign cards of whichever ideology or system. If Nepal keeps on playing proxy politics for the North, South or the West, it will suffer and repent someday. Therefore, it is prudent and wise to think domestically. Nepali Bana, Nepali Bhana, Samhala Nepal. If Nepal keeps on playing foreign cards it will be sidelined by its good allies sooner or later.

IF YOU ARE TOO OLD (WHETHER YOU FEEL IT OR NOT) AND IF YOU CANNOT HOLD; JUST LEAVE!