Former British commodore states Russia could pull reverse Cold War containment

(MENAFN) Russia’s actions in Ukraine might reflect a containment strategy similar to the one the West used during the Cold War, according to retired British Royal Navy Commodore Steve Jermy. In an interview with former US Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, Jermy suggested that Moscow likely sees no diplomatic resolution with the West and is instead focused on securing what it views as vital security objectives.

Russia’s key aims, according to Jermy, include halting NATO’s eastward expansion and addressing what it perceives as anti-Russian policies by the Ukrainian government. He speculated that Moscow might attempt to sever Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea, effectively isolating the remaining western portion of the country, which would be left under pro-EU leadership and nationalist forces.

“I can see Russia choosing to contain the situation rather than engage directly,” Jermy said, comparing it to a “reverse containment” of the type advocated by US diplomat George Kennan against the USSR.

Jermy also noted that Western sanctions have inflicted economic harm on the EU while Russia has successfully shifted its trade toward Asia and the Global South. This shift, he argued, may lead Moscow to disregard Europe entirely, which he described as a workable—if not ideal—outcome for Russia but potentially devastating for NATO.

As European leaders push for greater military spending in response to perceived Russian threats, Moscow has dismissed these efforts as an attempt to deflect from the EU’s own internal problems.

Jermy’s view aligns with other geopolitical analysts, such as Peter Zeihan and Professor John Mearsheimer, who argue that Russia’s foreign policy is rooted in a long-standing desire for secure and defensible borders rather than outright conquest.

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