<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><a name="_GoBack"></a><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Pope and NATO orientations</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR"><span style="color: #3598db;"><strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atheer Nazim Al-Jasour.</span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">With all the indicators that the Russian-Ukrainian war has struck today <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>, we find that the data of history are renewed with the development of renewal touches for projects that must be implemented, the conflict taking place today is not limited to a Russian-Ukrainian war<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>as much as it brings back to memory the conflict of the West and the East during the Cold War and the consequences of this conflict, which was punctuated by many proxy wars, Russia today is not the Soviet Union exhausted in 1989 and the United States is not that country that resolved the Cold War and sat on the throne of the international system and the allies of the two main parties Therefore, talking about the return of the idea of balance between forces and in various fields is the basis of competition and conflict today, especially since the global system is witnessing the rise of rising powers trying to prove their position even if they specialize in being a pole in a particular field, all this indicates the change of the map of the global system and the decline of the idea of one pole to start a new chapter of drawing projects and changing roles.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Russia finds that the American danger lies not only in the capabilities of the latter and its advanced technology and dangerous arsenal of war, and the American trends today in the world change with the change in the strategic importance of this or that region because of the elements it carries to enhance its power and leadership of the world, as a result, Russia is trying in various ways to limit American projects that first threaten its national security and threaten its global position, which is at stake if it does not impose its control, even if by force, on important areas.In addition to Russia, through its decision-makers, is proceeding according to the steps of proving its existence by displaying its power, so the Ukrainian territory and the importance it means to them was a great opportunity to prove this power to the world and show the Russian political and military capabilities that may make others cautious in dealing with it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Its demands before its invasion of Ukraine were clear and there is no doubt that it is apprehensive of the steps taken by the United States and its allies, specifically NATO, which is one of the factors of the great threat to Russia, its security and interests, and therefore demanded guarantees, the first of which is to exclude the idea of including Ukraine in the alliance, first, because of the geographical proximity that makes the alliance centered on the Russian borders, and secondly, the idea of containment in all its details is amenable As for the United States, reducing the Russian role in the region is an important goal of its foreign policy, after this action contributes to controlling the Russians' political, economic and even military engines. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The war occurred and the scale of destruction suffered by Ukraine is large, and all interventions did not succeed in reducing neither stopping the war, nor reducing violent bombings, nor gathering the different at the same table for dialogue, so the events today are going according to irrational trends that may drag the world into severe crises if the situation continues as it is or witnesses a greater escalation, in the end, the idea of conflict and competition remains the basis for the management of this world by the major powers that are trying to Through various means to achieve its goals and try to maximize its power over the other, indifferent to the consequences of its policies, which necessarily affected the outcomes of the international decision, the war is escalating on the ground in the political and diplomatic corridors, there must be great pressure on all parties politically and economically at least.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The statements of Pope Francis about provoking NATO, which generated Russian anger that led to the invasion of Ukraine, were controversial for the countries of the alliance, especially the NATO countries surrounding Ukraine</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">, </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">if we reveal the map of this war, we will find that the most important reasons are the existence of a challenge to Russia and its claims at the beginning of the crisis, in addition to the attempt and insistence on making Russia surrounded by the countries of the alliance Old and new, this indicates that the United States, along with its NATO allies, insists that Russia be a secondary state in this system, and this is not accepted by Russian leaders, especially since there is an elitist discourse within Russia urging its leadership to strengthen both prestige and proof of Russian power through which it may help restore the glories of history.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In addition, the Pope is clearly aware that NATO, through the Allied movement, bears part of the outbreak of this war, which has proven the inability of all parties to put an end point to it, as a result that what the Pope spoke is a fact that cannot be escaped from and not everyone can talk otherwise, if we assume that NATO is in line with Russian demands not to include Ukraine in the alliance as part of a new strategy.Certainly the Russian position will be weak, illogical, irrational and threatening to security and peace </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>in the world and the region, </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">but the problem of this war is that there are forces fighting and victimizing as are the conflicts of major powers in various regions of the world, on the other hand, the United States and its allies in NATO did not fight for its option to join Ukraine and thus protect Ukraine from the danger of war and aggression, but rather It was satisfied with fortifying its borders with Ukraine, but it was also fighting with the last Ukrainian soldier, and trying to make the Ukrainian land the fortified fortress and defender of NATO's borders, which its nearby countries fear military expansion and distant economic crises.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">On the other hand, the Pope of the Vatican, from the point of view of watching the map away from bias, wanted to deliver a message to everyone that NATO, led by the United States, is the one who founded this war and its orientations were a key element in the Russian reaction to it, in the end, this reaction was natural for a large country the size of Russia trying to maintain its presence and increase its gains gains, but the reaction of NATO countries to this statement may not occupy public opinion because of the indicators of war of the inability of these countries to Protecting Ukraine after the latter was involved in a war that has no camel or camel.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">From a point of view far from the two parties, the Pope's orientation in this way and manner may be trying through it to calm down the impact of this crisis, trying to blame one side in order to give an indication to the other party to reduce its magnificence and deal with the crisis more wisely, especially since the Pope has announced his intention to visit Moscow and meet with President Putin, and this initiative may be an attempt by him to moisten the atmosphere between all parties and stop this war, which has become more Destruction for the Ukrainians and the whole world, the other point is the feeling of the danger of the Russian response, which has become using all means in order to either maintain the situation as it is, achieve its goals, or expand the area of war to go to other regions militarily and economically, and thus Europe will be the next arena for it, and this is what the Pope wanted to convey to the world and to NATO countries in the first place.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In the end, whether Russia is able to stop the war or the United States and its allies have the ability to prevent it from advancing, the war is still eating Ukraine, and the only affected now is Ukraine and its citizens because of the destruction they suffered in various sites and fields, and most importantly the permanence of life that stops from the launch of missiles and projectiles, but the coming days will bring us many surprises, both in the ability of the parties to the understanding, which will reach in all cases to dead ends due toThe intransigence of the parties, or through the escalation of tension, which helped the war to turn from regular armies to guerrilla warfare by relying on the factions of both parties. </span></p>