Putin has already shown that because of his bloody appetites, the West will sooner or later have to confront him, and it is better to do so now on the Ukrainian fronts.
The Joe Biden administration stressed that the United States will not enter into a conflict in Ukraine. The reasons are quite convincing: the war between the nuclear powers would not benefit anyone. But it's time to reconsider this approach.
Richard Hooker, an expert on the Atlantic Council and a former special aide to the US president and senior director of the National Security Council for Europe and Russia, writes about this in his article.
He notes that it is now clear that Vladimir Putin seeks to consolidate Russian control over much of the post-Soviet space. If he succeeds in Ukraine, as he did in Georgia, Crimea and Donbas, he is unlikely to stop. Diplomacy and relatively lenient sanctions in 2014 sent him a signal that the West lacked determination. If Ukraine collapses, NATO will face a new threat without Ukraine's army on its side. After all, from Belarus to Kaliningrad is not far.
“The choice is simple: we oppose Putin either now or later. That is why the fastest and most effective assistance that NATO can offer Ukraine is to create a no-fly zone to bring the Russian Air Force out of the game, ”the author writes.
He adds that the Ukrainian resistance has so far been extraordinary. Puzzled by the lack of progress, Putin is now bombing cities and continuing terror to break up Ukrainians whose resistance inspires peace. However, unfortunately, with all the material support given to Ukraine, Russia may eventually prevail if the West does not intervene. The unmanned zone will allow NATO countries to provide the Ukrainian army with both land and air routes, as well as give Ukraine a realistic prospect of success and survival.
Critics have focused on the dangerous escalating nature of such a move. Of course, setting up a no-fly zone means suppressing the enemy's air defenses. Some western pilots and planes will be lost.
“But think of an alternative: after the successful takeover of Ukraine and then potentially Moldova, Russia may be tempted to attack the Baltic states, each of which is a member of NATO. The Alliance will have no choice but to engage in battle on the ground and in the week. What is the difference? By that time, it will be pressed against the Baltic coast, there will be less room for maneuver, as well as forces, “the article reads.
Such a war, according to the author, will be marked by attacks on cities and a large number of civilian casualties. At that time, Putin will have no moral capital that he would risk losing. Until now, NATO has resisted the establishment of a no-fly zone. But the unprecedented unity of its member states in recent days suggests that it may rethink its position. A very intense and large-scale war returned to Europe. Russian troops attacked the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, the largest on the continent. And the photos of civilian victims are shocking. Even a blow near the Holocaust memorial in Babi Yar in Kiev resonated throughout Europe.
Germany's decisions to increase defense spending and stop Nord Stream 2 have been a clear departure from past pacifism and over-caution. Meanwhile, traditionally neutral countries such as Sweden, Finland and Switzerland have supported NATO in condemning Russian aggression. Britain and Poland responded by providing massive lethal assistance, as well as political and economic pressure. Even Russian apologists such as Hungary and the Czech Republic have changed course.
Europe is awake. If NATO does not reach a consensus on closing the skies over Ukraine, then a coalition of US leaders can help Ukraine by giving it the chance it needs to survive today and prevent an even worse war tomorrow. Fear of Putin's military attack on NATO, as well as his decision to use nuclear weapons, remains strong. But in recent days, it has become clear that Russia has already used much of its stockpile of high-precision ammunition and ballistic missiles. Most Russian non-nuclear troops are already fighting in Ukraine. The Russian army has no opportunity to expand this war. Meanwhile, the significant deployment of US forces on NATO's eastern flank is already a safeguard against a Russian attack. As for Putin's nuclear threats, the steady stability of nuclear deterrence over the decades has given him peace of mind. It is no coincidence that NATO is a nuclear alliance. And the Russian authorities know that she will face powerful retribution.
“Going to war in Ukraine is a painful and difficult choice that the West would like to avoid. But European security, so carefully built in the early 1990s, has collapsed. The West believed that 1939 would never happen again. But here it came out. And as the Prussian military strategist Karl von Clausewitz reminds us, war changes everything. Cold political calculations are needed, ”the article reads.
See the special topic: Erdogan announced talks with Zelensky and Putin The Turkish president intends to meet with the leaders of Ukraine and Russia in the coming days. Hungary will not allow arms to be supplied to Ukraine through its territory – Foreign Minister The country will also continue to buy oil and gas from Russia. Lavrov said that Russia had declared a “hybrid war” He is convinced that the West wants to “break, destroy, stifle the Russian economy and Russia as a whole.” Hans Zimmer showed a video from Lviv during a concert in London In the video, a Lviv pianist plays to the sound of sirens. Two deputies and the former mayor of Izyum are cooperating with the Russian occupiers – the head of the Izyum city council has been under blockade for more than two weeks, and the northern part of the city is occupied by Russian invaders.
