FROM UKRAINE TO GAZA, U.S. IS FAILING

The United States is failing to further its interests from Ukraine to the Gaza Strip, creating more tensions and spreading wars. In Ukraine, the failure of the so-called spring counteroffensive was a serious blow to the U.S. who provided the Kiev regime with tens of billions worth of military aid. Kiev`s forces didn’t only fail to recapture any Russian-held territory, but also sustained heavy losses and are now losing key areas, like Avdiivka and Kupyansk, to the Russian military. The U.S. top ally in Kiev, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is now facing unprecedented internal pressure as he inches closer to firing the commander-in-chief of his forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. The move could spark an internal conflict and sweep away everything the U.S. has built in Ukraine since the 2014 regime change. Meanwhile in the Middle East, the U.S. unconditional support for the Israeli war on Gaza -which has so far claimed the lives of more 26,000 Palestinians- is bringing the entire region closer to a full-blown conflict. More than 165 attacks have targeted U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria on the backdrop of the war. Iranian-backed forces, namely the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, claimed responsibility for the majority of these attacks. Dozens of American troops were wounded and tensions reached new heights after three were killed in a drone attack on the Syrian-Jordanian border late in January. Washington vowed to respond to the attack. An unchecked response could provoke a fierce reaction from Iran and its allies in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. is already about to start talks with Iraq on the future of its military presence and is reportedly considering a withdrawal from Syria. In the Red Sea, the U.S. is also failing to end the blockade imposed by the Iran-allied Houthis (Ansar Allah) on Israel-affiliated ships in support of Gaza. The U.S. amassed a large naval coalition and launched dozens of strikes on Yemen along with the United Kingdom to counter the Houthis. However, the group responded by expanding its operations to include attacks on U.S. and UK vessels. The Houthis nearly hit a U.S. guided missile destroyer late in January, and later struck two merchant vessels, one linked to the U.S. and the other to the UK. In Gaza itself, Israel has so far failed to achieve any of its stated goals. Hamas is still heavily-armed and in charge of the Strip. In addition, none of the Israeli hostages have been released by force. The bet the U.S. made on Israel will not apparently pay off, and Washington is already preparing an alternative plan by sponsoring talks on a long ceasefire in Gaza that ends the war there. This would be a resounding defeat for Israel, and by effect for the U.S. itself. All in all, the U.S. unwillingness to compromise to find middle ground with its rivals has created a dangerous situation from Ukraine to Gaza. Washington is making some changes, however not enough to de-escalate and end the current wars.