
<p>President Biden has repeatedly said that the United States and NATO have given Ukraine all the military weapons and equipment they need to win the war. ; That is obviously untrue. ; Biden’s too little/too late policy on weapons and sanctions – and his influence on NATO &#8212; has only prolonged the war.</p>



<p>Biden’s strategy has been defensive only. ; He has said as much. ; He will help Ukraine continue to hold off Putin’s military – essentially creating a prolonged war-of-attrition.  ; That is what we have seen for the past year or so. ; The Ukraine military has prevented Russia from taking over the country – although they now control more land than they did prior to the invasion. ; Putin’s military has created a critical land bridge between the Crimea and the Donbass Regions that were previously controlled by Russia.</p>



<p>On the other hand, Ukrainian forces have not taken back a significant amount of Russian held territory. ; There was some initial hope that the highly vaunted “summer offensive” would break the stalemate. ; So far, it has not. ; The Ukrainian advance is hamstrung by a significant Russian physical defense line. ; The offensive is also stalled by lack of basic ammunition. ; Ukraine positions and cities continue to be hammered by Russian aerial attacks.  ; Does that sound like the Ukrainian military has all it needs to win the war?</p>



<p>If the United States or NATO were providing all that Ukraine needs to win, there would be no shortage of ammunition. ; Ukrainian pilots would already be flying fighter jets. ; The west could have imposed the no-fly zone that President Zelensky requested at the onset of the war – and again at the recent NATO meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania. ; Ukraine would have many times the tanks they have today if Biden had not blocked an earlier request.</p>



<p>It is not just a matter of new weapons. ; Ukraine needs more of the long-range TOW missiles that can hit targets more than 4000 meters away. ; More of the Javelin missiles and launchers – which President Trump started sending in 2018. ; More Spike missiles and launchers than the European Union sent in 2022.</p>



<p>In terms of air defense, the United States has still not sent the belatedly promised NASAMS surface to air missiles that can hit targets 100 miles away. ; Ukraine needs more of the Stinger low altitude air defense missiles that were initially sent by Trump in 2019. ; They need more Patriot missiles that can take down long-range missiles and drones.</p>



<p>Ukraine needs a continuous flow of small personal arms – M4 carbines and M240/M249 machine guns that were initially provided to the country during the Trump administration.</p>



<p>(In view of the current domestic political climate, I think it is important to recognize that Trump reversed President Obama’s ban on sending weapons to Ukraine. ; That played an important roll in upgrading the Ukrainian military prior to Russian invasion.)</p>



<p>Virtually every retired general appearing on the news programs – from FOX to MSNBC – has been unequivocable and emphatic that the United States and NATO must provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs to win the war asap.</p>



<p>I understand that there are political voices in both parties who call for ending all military aid to Ukraine. ; Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of members of Congress believe in helping Ukraine defeat Putin – as do most of the American people. ; We have heard the mantra that America and NATO will do whatever is necessary to defeat Russia. ; So far, we have not been doing it. ; If only President Biden’s actions were consistent with his rhetoric.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis, ; ;</p>

United States (Biden) is Ukraine’s Biggest Impediment to Defeating Putin
