Ukraine is losing the war … and so is America
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has said that Russia now controls 20 percent of Ukraine. Putin maintains control over all the territory he had before his brutal invasion and then some. He has renewed his bombardment of Kyiv. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian military are said to now be prisoners of war.
Yes, the Ukrainian military surprised the world – and presumably Putin – by repelling Russia’s initial strategy of a quick march to Kyiv – toppling the national government and taking control of the entire nation.
That strategy and the reputation of the Russian military as an all-powerful force is shredded. As a result, Putin redeployed his military in the east and south sectors – where he already had bases, separatist support, and shorter supply lines. He is using long-distance bombarding as his primary tactic. Thanks to a lot of heavy military equipment from NATO and other world democracies, The Ukrainian military has been able to push back against the slow gains Russia was making in the Donbas Region. But Russian forces are making gains regardless of how slow and costly they may be.
But for the most part, Russia is winning more ground than they are losing. After a prolonged battle over Mariupol, Russia was able to take over the city – making a vital connection between its forces in the east and the south.
In an earlier commentary, I suggested that the longer the war goes on, the more likely Putin will win. Even with the manifest problems with his military, Putin has more young men and more equipment to sustain the assault. The human and economic costs pose no restriction on Putin.
Putin is still counting on NATO and other nations to find supporting Ukraine is too time-consuming and too expensive. Biden was not the reason NATO initially united against Putin – and he is incapable of stopping NATO from going soft or defeating Putin. Germany and France are already talking about a negotiated settlement that would leave Putin with that 20 percent of Ukraine – and poised to take more after a period of reorganizing.
Turkish President Recep Erdoğan has still not given his approval for the admission of Finland and Sweden into NATO. Hungry is essentially sitting out the war. All these suggest that Putin is right. NATO’s commitment to a Ukraine victory is not as rock solid as the verbal support – including in the White House.
Every day, Ukraine is suffering diminished ability to maintain the nation’s military strength. The war crime carpet bombing by Russia is literally destroying – leveling – city after city. Russia is destroying Ukraine’s ability to produce food – and stealing what has been harvested.
It is estimated that more than six million Ukrainians have been forced into Russia – including hundreds of thousands of kidnaped children, who will be “re-educated” as citizens of Mother Russia.
Zelenskyy has received a lot of verbal and diplomatic support – and a good measure of financial and military support – but not nearly enough to win.
The United States has poured billions of dollars and tons of equipment into the Ukraine War, but much of the benefit has been lost by responding with too little and too late. Only recently did the United States send in longer range rocket launchers, but only If the range of the shells is limited to 48 miles instead of 160 miles – and as long as the Ukrainians promise not to fire them into Russia even though that is where Putin is launching is carpet bombing.
If Putin is not defeated – meaning he surrenders all Ukrainian territory back to the Ukrainians and pays reparations for his war crimes – the defeat of Putin will not be possible. NATO, the United Nations, and above all the United States, will suffer a major strategic and national security defeat. America will lose its world leadership – militarily, economically, and morally. Not by choice – but by fate – Ukraine has become a bulwark of world democracy.
The two greatest threats to American leadership and national security are the imperialism of Russia – as it conquers more of the world’s geography – and the economic imperialism of China – as it forges economic alliances with the world’s nations.
NATO will be less of a defense alliance and world peacekeeper and more of a refuge in which the western democracies have circled the wagons. Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a direct attack on the United States’ future leadership. Putin often declares the United States the enemy of his new autocratic world order. Defeating Putin is the only option. Unfortunately, with each passing day, that option becomes more remote and more unlikely.
There is only one option that can save the situation. The United States, NATO, the European Union, and a coalition of democratic nations – and even some autocratic allied nations – need to get involved militarily in a phased strategy. The first measure should be to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine. An international force of military advisors and trainers should be sent to Ukraine. There should be no restrictions on the level of weaponry provided to Ukraine – short of atomic weapons. And the west’s nuclear arsenal should be used as a check against Putin launching nuclear weapons.
If that does not stop Putin, then the western military – boots on the ground and wings in the air — should be used to unleash a blistering attack on Russian forces in Ukraine. That is not a declaration of war on Russia, but it would make all those bombs being launched within Russia meaningless because Russian occupiers could not stay or return to Ukraine.
So, there ‘tis.
We lost when the election was stolen
The Big Lie, as told by The Biggest Liar, is a lie that you can not prove, have lost over 60 court cases, multiple recounts in multiple states. In 2020, more Trumplicants were arrested and convicted for voter fraud than any Democrat fraud that you could dream up.
You are a deluded sycophant spewing disinformation and lies.
this country losses if biden dont get impeached for treason to this country and supporting those comunist countrys! and all them bullshit democraps and antiamerican rhinos must be dealt with !! bring back american values !!!
The stolen 2020 election had disasterous consequences, and so it will be for America.Hidenbiden was not elected but a plant, of the deep state. In 18 months he has destroyed this country, and left our allies, wondering what is wrong with America, with the total incompetence, of a leader, who is out of touch with reality, and putting america in dire straights,around the world. This racist,senile,frail,old,puppet fool, is a danger to America, and the world.He needs to be removed for total incompetency. He is the laughing stock of America and the world, a pathetic,disgrace, to america.
It’s an election year and Joe’s tin foil hat has never looked better.
A delusional Trumplicant sycophant desperately clinging to his 2020 Big Lie.
He can’t prove shit, at least legally, so he bays at the moon, cries, whines, and trashes about hoping for a better outcome.
Good luck trying to get us to comply with joe blow Biden and his communist regime. Not gonna happen.
why does Joe Biden have a communist regime? Why can none of you Trumplicants explain yourselves?
You’re too stupid to understand. This has nothing to do with Trump. The democrats have been hijacked by communists for several years. I realized that and walked away and never looked back
Which communists?
Who said Trump; I said Trumplicant you loon.
It’s so much better now that you’ve walked away. So much hatred bottled up.
It’s not my party acting like thugs and dictators because things don’t always go our way. The democrats are made up of thugs and dictators. And that spells communism
Fake Frank: yeah right. I guess that’s because you consider The Big Lie as gospel and the guy who attempted to stop the election, recount it his way, and never has conceded that he LOST the election not a thuggish dictator who does not have to follow the rule of law or our democratic processes. “All I want to do is this,” the president said. “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state.” And then the Trump threat: “You know what they did and you’re not reporting it,” the president said. “You know, that’s a criminal — that’s a criminal offense. And you know, you can’t let that happen. That’s a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer. That’s a big risk.” That’s right it’s risky business to not let the thug have his way.
You are wrong, this does not spell communism, not even close. But in Trump’s case, it does spell an autocrat that thinks the rule of law is for other people, not him. After all, he has never said anything he needs to apologize for, he has never made a mistake except hiring people who do….a lot.
Or….”I would like you to do us a favor though because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it,” as he delayed promised military aid in extortion of getting disparaging information about Joe Biden. Freaking Mafia management by Trump using taxpayer dollars and aborting the will of Congress to get his way.
I think you are looking too much at the war as the pure “unprovoked Russian Aggression-war” which I consider a mere propaganda term: The war started on 20 Feb. 2014 on Maidan!
And it started with US knowledge and assistance through a special sniper Instructor from the 101 Airborne: Bryan Christopher Bovenger. This was confirmed in sworn testimony before a Ukrainian court by Koba Negradse, a Georgian sniper sent by ex-Pres. Saakashvili (with 2 others) to partake in the Maidan.
This puts the, then, Pres. Obama in the picture – and would not surprise when looking at his strategies in Libya and Syria (not to mention his assistance to Sisi iEgypt to suppress the Tahir Square and, with that, the “Arab Spring”).
Obama’s Ukraine plans were interrupted by the 4 years of Trump -who, I am sure, was kept in the dark about the “reduced DonBass fighting”- which was “rekindled” as soon as Biden had set himself halfway up in his (not really) new position as Obama’s Show- President. Then, deaths in DonBass increased a lot, and a new Krym-attack was set to plans (maybe, only to provoke even more).
How that, and what is behind it? Europe shoots itself into recession and cuts itself off from the cheap energy and (think of electro-cars and batteries: Who has most Lithium?). It’s the end of a strong independent Europe and EU. – Russia is cut off from Europe and “sent to Asia”. Alright, they’ll survive, sell oil, gas, wheat, everything to China, India, etc. no market-loss.
Jboo7. An interesting analysis, but I think going back yo Obama and the Donbas issue of that time is not relevant. Maybe it goes back to FDR for allowing Russian to occupy eastern Europe. Maybe it goes back to Putin’s potty training. I think if you deal with the relatively current issues, the situation is very clear. Russian had been encourage and supporting the Donbass separatist — at times have troops in the region. That was still Ukraine territory. Ukraine is an independent nation — invading no one. Member of the UN. Putin launched a brutal invasion without provocation. He is carrying it out with war crimes. Ukraine is strategically important to western and American security — as was Afghanistan. Saying that Putin is justified in any way is exactly like saying Hitler was entitled to Sudetenland because those spoke German. Under that theory, Great Britain could be demanding the return of the colonies — maybe even Canada and Australia..