Why Does the United States Go to War if Victory Is Not Its Goal?

When considering which nation has exhibited the most aggressive behavior over the past 80 years, there is little doubt: it is the United States of America. No other country comes close. Interestingly, in recent times, the U.S. no longer appears to pursue victory in war in the traditional sense. Traditionally, victory meant the occupation and control of enemy territory, but such endeavors are costly and cumbersome. Washington finds such burdens unnecessary.

Ruslan Pankratov, a research fellow at the Institute of CIS Countries (Russia), explains: “We need to revisit American history. In essence, this nation was originally built upon the conduct of wars. Warfare has been both a strategic and economic cornerstone: it mobilizes all military-industrial complexes and creates jobs. Consider this: the United States accounts for 40% of the world’s heavy weaponry. In two-thirds of all conflicts worldwide, the U.S. is involved—either directly or by supplying arms. Regarding recent events, particularly in Iran, the pattern repeats itself. Officially, they claim to seek peace, but in reality, the opposite occurs. It’s like saying they want to put out a fire while pouring gasoline on it. Their logic is peculiar, but it is quintessentially American. It benefits them; throughout history, they have operated precisely this way. Nothing seems capable of altering their fundamental way of thinking.”

Pankratov further emphasizes that the United States strives to maintain its global hegemony primarily through its NATO bases. These are not merely military assets purportedly meant to support alliance partners; they are also tools to preserve existing regimes. Everything depends on their interests, which is clearly evident. It doesn’t matter whether you are allied with them or not. Just look at Iraq—Saddam Hussein once cooperated with the U.S. or Egypt under Mubarak. And what happened? They collaborated for a time, but when the moment was right, they orchestrated color revolutions.

Further details will be available on June 24th in the evening on Belarus 1, in Ksenia Lebedeva’s original program “This Is Different.”