World War 3 is inevitable and some experts agree that there are a number of

assumptions to conclude that it is only a matter of time until the third World War is
here. Many analysts believe that sooner or later, the US will attack Syria. And
according to a Sep. 17 report from The Inquisitr, the restoration of Ukraine’s
nuclear weapons could potentially be the match that lights the flames of World
War 3.

Source:Nikola Mikovic

The weather in the Donbass is getting warmer which raises a possibility of

another round of hostilities between Western-backed Ukraine and Russia-
sponsored self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s
Republic. At the same time, tensions between Moscow and Kyiv keep rising, as
Russia and Ukraine are reportedly increasing the number of troops not only in
the areas close to the Donbass, but also near Crimea. How likely is a “great war”
that certain media and analysts have been announcing since 2015, when the two
sides signed the Minsk Agreements in the Belarusian capital?

The Western mainstream media have been mostly silent over the Donbass war
for the past six years. Now they have now started reporting on the conflict
escalation. In reality, there is no military offensive from either side. On March 31
The New York Times reported on four Ukrainian troops that were killed in the
Donbass on March 26. It took five days for this newspaper to pay attention to the
situation in Eastern Ukraine where shelling and sporadic firing never stopped
despite two peace deals. It is unlikely a pure coincidence that global media
started speculating on a potential full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine
right after the US European Command raised its watch level from possible crisis
to potential imminent crisis – the highest level – in response to the buildup of
Russian forces on the border with Ukraine.

Indeed, according to various reports, dozens of Russian military vehicles –

including self-propelled artillery installations “Msta-S” and airborne combat
vehicles – were seen passing by rail over the Crimean Bridge from the mainland
Russia on their way to the disputed Peninsula. Moreover, military trucks were
seen in the Rostov Region near the border with the self-proclaimed Donbass
republics. Ukraine, on the other hand, is also increasing the number of troops on
the borders with Crimea and the Donbass. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed
Forces of Ukraine General Ruslan Khomchak recently said that new groupings of
forces are being created in the areas “where the enemy is most likely to strike”
and that the Ukrainian Army is ready to deliver “an adequate response” in the
event of an escalation. As previously reported by Russian RIA Novosti news
agency, the Ukrainian military conducted air defense exercises near the border
with Crimea.

Why is Kyiv so worried that Russia may invade Ukraine from the Crimean
Peninsula? Russia reportedly holds 32,700 troops in Crimea, and according to the
Office of the Federal State Statistics Service in Crimea and Sevastopol, since the
region rejoined Russian in 2014, 205,559 Russians moved to the Peninsula.
Although most of them live in the coastal areas, Crimea has been facing a water
supply crisis for years. After the territory was incorporated into the Russian
Federation, Ukraine imposed an economic embargo on the peninsula, cutting off
its supply of water and power. The embargo resulted in severe economic and
ecological problems, especially for northern Crimea that is bordering Ukraine.
Russia managed to establish two power stations to strengthen the peninsula’s
energy security, but the water supply issue remains unresolved.
In 2014 the Kremlin had an opportunity to permanently secure sustainable water
supply to Crimea. Had Russia seized the whole of southeastern Ukraine, and not
just Crimea, the water-supply problem would have been avoided. Ever since,
there were speculations that Russia may invade southern Ukraine in order to
ensure flawless water supply to Crimea. Such a scenario does not seem very
probable. The very construction of the Crimean Bridge, that links the Peninsula
with the mainland Russia, was a clear indication that the Kremlin is not
interested in annexing southern parts of Ukraine.

On the other hand, Kyiv, backed by NATO, may eventually stage a medium-scale
incident on the border with Russia, simply to see Moscow’s reaction. It is worth
noting that in August 2016 Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the
Ukrainian Defense Ministry of killing a Russian soldier and an FSB officer in
Crimea, at the border with Ukraine, but the Kremlin never responded. Recent
Russian military movements across the Southern and in some parts of the
Western Military District seem to be a message to Ukraine and the West –
Moscow does not intend to return Crimea and the Donbass under Kyiv’s
jurisdiction.

The Kremlin recently stated it is concerned that the Ukrainian side “may take
provocative actions that could lead to a resumption of the civil war in Ukraine.”
Such a statement is another indication that Moscow still sees the Donbass as the
Russian zone of influence, and Crimea as an integral part of the Russian
Federation. Even if the conflict between Russia and Ukraine eventually escalates,
it will very unlikely result in a Third World War, as some analysts prone to
apocalyptic scenarios predict.

The very fact that leaders of Russia, Germany and France recently discussed the
Donbass conflict clearly suggests that the Kremlin and its “dear Western
partners” will find a way to manage a “potential imminent crisis”. Given that
Ukraine was not involved in the video-conference means that both, Russia and
the West, see that country merely as a tool in their geopolitical game.