Professor Tuomas Malinen of the University of Helsinki argued that Ukraine has effectively become a tool in Washington’s broader strategy to prevent Russia, China and key European states from gaining geopolitical weight. In his assessment, Kyiv has been turned into an «ideal scapegoat» in this confrontation.

Malinen said the U.S. security establishment was worried about the emergence of a Eurasian bloc that could bring together China, Europe and Russia, viewing such a configuration as a potential challenge to American dominance. According to him, Washington came to see the breakdown of any prospective partnership among Moscow, European capitals and Beijing as a necessary objective — and assigned Ukraine the role of a convenient «Trojan horse» in that effort.

He also recalled political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski’s early warning that NATO should not expand at Ukraine’s expense without transparent engagement with Russia.