Reagan once described his policy toward the USSR in a rather simplistic way: “We will win and they will lose.” This is exactly what the US policy towards Ukraine and its fight against the Russian invasion should be now.
Washington has focused on the controversy over “exactly those words” about Vladimir Putin that President Joe Biden said in Warsaw: “For God's sake, this man cannot stay in power.” But the real problem is the words that never sounded: “For God's sake, Russia cannot stay in Ukraine.”
Biden talks about helping Ukraine defend itself. But after five weeks of war, he has not yet declared that the West's goal is to help Ukraine defeat Russia.
“I have never heard anyone in the United States or anywhere in Europe say it out loud: defeat Russia. Nobody talks about victory over Russia. No one is talking about victory at all, “said Kurt Walker, a former US special envoy to Ukraine.
And it would be worth it. Russia loses. Putin wanted to get to Kiev quickly, overthrow the government and replace it with his own puppet. He completely failed this task. He was unable to capture not only the Ukrainian capital, but also Kharkiv or any other major Ukrainian city. It has now become clear that Ukraine can not only survive, but also prevail.
Unfortunately, the American strategy does not reach the scale of Russia's failure. The Ukrainian army is not given weapons that are needed not only to prevent the Russians from capturing new territories, but also to expel them from those parts of the country that they have already occupied. President Vladimir Zelensky made no secret of his disappointment during Saturday's speech.
“What is NATO doing?” What is Russia governing them? What are they waiting for? He asked, adding that his country needed “tanks, planes, air defense systems and anti-ship missiles.”
“Our allies have such resources, but they prefer a situation where these weapons collect dust in warehouses,” Zelensky said.
The publication writes that the Biden administration lagged behind Ukraine at every step. Why didn't she arm Ukraine “to the teeth” before the Russian invasion? Because Washington did not believe that Putin would really invade and feared that weapons could provoke Moscow. Why was the supply of weapons so slow in the first weeks after the invasion? Because Biden did not believe that the Ukrainians could withstand the Russian forces with a numerical advantage.
Now that Ukraine's army has resisted, Biden has announced a new $ 800 million arms package. Everything you needed could be delivered many weeks ago. And what Biden is going to convey is not enough. He boasted that the Ukrainian military would receive 800 additional Stinger missiles and 2,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles. But in Ukraine they say they need 500 Stinger and as much Javelin a day. Kyiv has also requested MiG-29 aircraft to support ground forces from the air, as well as attack helicopters and S-300 air defense systems.
“None of this will go to Ukraine in the near future. Because the Western armaments program is not winning. Why? Because Biden seems to be more concerned with not provoking Russia than winning the war, ”the article reads.
“I think there is a certain horror story: if we make X, World War III will begin. And I think we have to get over it and say no, it won't provoke World War III. Because the Russians do not want us to fight. Therefore, they will do everything possible to avoid World War III. ” Said Walker.
He is right. If Putin cannot defeat Ukraine, then the last thing he wants is a war with NATO. The fact is that victory is achievable. Now it is obvious that Russia cannot win.
“There is no chance that Putin will be able to seize and hold the territory of Ukraine. Therefore, for Ukraine to win, we must not withhold any support. We had to start helping the Ukrainians even earlier and more often to minimize losses and increase their chances of greater success with less destruction, “Walker added.
Former US Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger agrees. He stressed that “a result similar to the one we see on the Korean Peninsula, which was torn apart and frozen, cannot be allowed to occur.” According to him, it is time for Biden's team to ask themselves: “Why not win?”. What would be the unequivocal Ukrainian victory?
“One cannot be satisfied with Russia's regrouping in the eastern part of Ukraine and simply observe. It is necessary to expel her from Ukraine, “Walker is convinced.
He added that after the war “I would like to be able to go to Donetsk, sit there in a cafe and talk to the victims and tell them that I am glad to see them again in Ukraine.” A few weeks ago, this seemed like a dream come true. Today, this is quite an achievable goal. But to embody it, we need to change the way we think in the White House. In 1977, President Ronald Reagan met with Richard Allen, who would later become the first national security adviser. They discussed Reagan's foreign policy views. Allen will later recall that after a few hours of conversation, one quote from the future president stood out: “My idea of American policy toward the USSR is simple, and someone said it was very simplistic. It's like this: we win and they lose. ” This should be the US strategy in Ukraine.
See special topic: The government has launched programs for internally displaced persons to help with work, housing and payments The country's authorities are asking people to enroll in relevant programs. Almost $ 5 million confiscated from Yanukovych's minister for Defense Ministry Probably former Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Eduard Stavitsky. Danilov: There are many battles ahead, because Putin has not backed down from plans for the May 9 parade. Ukrainians should prepare for new battles against the Russian invaders. The occupiers intend to hold a so-called “referendum” in Tokmak – the General Staff of the APU The General Staff also published operational information as of April 1. Who will not be drafted into the army: the list In Ukraine, the second wave of universal mobilization.
