
<p>On the far right and the far left, there is a mutual sentiment regarding the war in Ukraine – at least regarding the United States&#8217; involvement. ; They oppose spending billions of dollars – and supplying offensive weapons – to aid the Kyiv government in fighting Russian aggression.</p>



<p>The reasons vary. ; Those on the left are genetically antiwar. ; They are constant complainers when it comes to funding the defense budget. Some say Ukraine is a corrupt nation not worth saving. ; FOX News’ Tucker Carlson has seen no reason to oppose Putin’s ambition to take over Ukraine. ; “What has Putin ever done to me,” he rhetorically questioned. ; Many see better uses for the money.</p>



<p>(Eighty years ago, the political ancestors of today’s opposition to aiding Ukraine were saying the same things about America’s entering the war against Hitler. ; But I digress.)</p>



<p>I not only disagree with their arguments, but I also do not even understand the logic of them. ; Saving the Ukraine Republic is important enough, but defeating Putin is critical to America’s and the world’s democracies’ national security … period. ; Putin is an existential threat to the free world. ; ;</p>



<p>He is the new Hitler. ; And like Hitler, Putin must be removed from office – one way or another. ; It seems the central question is whether we want Russian troops on the border of Poland or NATO forces on the Ukrainian/Russian border. ; And yes, that means winning the war and inviting Ukraine to join the Alliance.</p>



<p>My concern with the war is that we are not doing enough to assure victory as expeditiously as possible. ; Providing a lot of military support for a short war is more economical than moderate support for a prolonged war. ; We should have learned that lesson in Afghanistan.</p>



<p>An allied victory means the nations across the globe – Asia, the Middle East, and Europe – will be safe from future aggression by Moscow.  ; It means the strategic location and resources of Ukraine will accrue to the benefit of the world’s democracies. ; Just as losing past wars has emboldened our adversaries, winning will have a chilling effect on Beijing, Tehran, and Pyongyang. ; The United States and other democracies would be free from Russian meddling.</p>



<p>There may be no more propitious time to do whatever it takes to defeat and depose Putin than right now. ; The Ukrainian military has recently achieved an impressive victory over Russian forces – reclaiming more than 2000 square miles of Russian-held territory. ; They routed the Russians – with soldiers chaotically retreating, leaving behind millions of dollars of equipment and weaponry. ; According to military experts, this is the time to keep the advance going – before the Russians can regroup.</p>



<p>Putin’s support on the home front is starting to cave. ; Dozens of municipal deputies have signed a petition calling on Putin to resign – charging him with dereliction of duty. ; According to the petition, “President Putin&#8217;s actions are detrimental to the future of Russia and its citizens.&#8221; ; Amazingly, the petition was published in the Communist media – and more than 80 others added their signatures.</p>



<p>There is growing unrest in the streets – and it has been reported that even key members of Putin’s inner circle are privately expressing doubts about his leadership.</p>



<p>This is the time, America, Europe and other nations around the world should maximize their military support for Ukraine. ; America should double down on weapons and training … provide critical intelligence (including targeting information) … provide on-the-ground military advisors … declare the area around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant a demilitarized zone and replace the Russian military with an international force of nuclear experts and soldiers.</p>



<p>The objective is to expel all Russian military from the borders of Ukraine – including the Crimea and Donbass Region … the establishment of an American military presence after the war … and the commencement of a war crime tribunal against Putin.</p>



<p>And as far as Putin’s removal from office, that would happen automatically once his invasion is utterly defeated. ; The folks in Moscow will end Putin’s tenure – one way or another.</p>



<p>We must understand that either Putin wins or Ukraine wins. ; There is no such thing as a compromise peace deal.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Defeating Putin is America’s most important foreign policy … for now
