Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been the only country that has enjoyed the status of a ‘superpower’. Those who try to challenge it, notably China in particular, but hardly the Soviet Union any longer, are fought back. Smaller countries, or groups of countries, are also in trouble if they try to take over influence in specific areas or fields, well, unless they support the USA ideologically, such as the EU and the European countries do.

When the United States was fighting a protracted war in Vietnam in the 1960s, it supported the capitalist-oriented South Vietnam against the communist-oriented North Vietnam. The US was supported by the other Western countries; the Soviet Union was supported by China and North Korea, and also indirectly by most non-aligned developing countries. It was a proxy war in many ways because it was the leaders of the communist and capitalist ideologies, the Soviet Union and the USA, competing for world leadership; the USA wanted to stop the further development of communism, it said, which in addition certainly also meant economic control of South Asia.

But in the end, the USA had to withdraw from the Vietnam War in shame. I believe much of the reason for the defeat of America was its distance from Vietnam, which geographically is closer to Russia, China, and North Korea. Furthermore, the Vietnam War had also become very costly and unpopular in the USA and Europe.

As we know too well, the war between the US and the Afghan Taliban lasted for no less than two decades and isn’t quite over yet in spite of the US and NATO troops having withdrawn from Afghanistan in August 2021. During the war, the US sometimes accused Pakistan, sometimes Russia, and China of supporting the Taliban. The Afghan War went on during the tenures of four American presidents, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. When Biden came into power in January 2021, he repeated his campaign promise to go for early withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan, a promise he kept when American troops withdrew in August 2021, together with withdrawal of troops from NATO and other countries. Pakistan, Russia, and China celebrated the defeat of the United States in Afghanistan and showed some sympathy for the new Taliban regime.

Again, the United States feels it must avenge its defeat, as it did when it lost the Vietnam War, tearing the Soviet Union apart. Currently, the US is giving Russia a tough time over Ukraine. The USA supports Ukraine ideologically and has sent weapons to the country, and recently even some troops. On the other hand, it has also taken the issue of Ukraine to the United Nations. France and Germany play mediating roles, and Germany in particular wants a peaceful solution. Russia’s behaviour includes the annexation of Ukraine in 2014, being the beginning of the conflict, and recently, a massive deployment of some 100,000 troops on the Russia-Ukraine border, and destabilisation activities in two large provinces in East Ukraine, with many pro-Russian people. It has been said that Russia wants a regime-change in Kyiv and subsequent annexation of the country, at least according to some US leaked information, which however remains hawkish rumours, certainly denied by Russia. Furthermore, it is claimed that the US tries to penetrate Central Asia, and oust pro-Russian governments, in countries such as Kazakhstan where there has recently been unrest. The US has experience in influencing change in many countries, including in Central Asia, where it is claimed that it is using NGOs to support proxy groups; in Latin America, USA has long experience from heavy-handed influence.

Some Afghan Taliban proxy groups were also used against Iran, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, engaging in border skirmishes and acts of aggression. Pakistan talks about its good relations with the Taliban government. On the other hand, some elements of the Afghan Taliban are against Pakistan, and they sometimes speak against Pakistan openly, too, including supporting the tearing down of fences on the border. Similar activities may be the case in relation to China.

How all this is, and how proxy wars and proxy activities really work, we never really get to know in detail. But we can ask critical questions and seek explanations to official statements. It is always good to do that in such and other situations. So, something good may come out of these nasty things, too. As they say, ‘It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good’.