According to Axios, “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a searing criticism of Western inaction against Russian aggression on Saturday, arguing that Ukraine has acted as a ‘shield’ for the past eight years and that Europe’s security architecture has utterly failed. … Zelensky began his speech by recalling Putin’s address to the Munich Security Conference in 2007, in which the Russian president attacked the U.S.-led global order and eastward expansion of NATO as ‘extremely dangerous.’ … ‘15 years ago, it was the Russian Federation that made a statement here challenging the global security order. How did the world respond? Appeasement.’ … Zelensky also criticized the West for claiming that Putin has made the decision to invade, but not imposing sanctions until the attack has begun: ‘What are you waiting for? We don’t need sanctions after bombardment happens, after we have no borders, no economy. Why would we need those sanctions then?’”
I have no idea where Zelensky is wrong! As I said in a previous post, we have Bush II and Obama to thank, in part, for this appeasement policy. And traitor trump did not engage in appeasement. Oh, no! He’s done more than appeasement! Rather, he’s the out-right f***ing leader of the American Fifth Column, which is alive and well in the U.S.A., thanks to Faux News and Tucker “Bow Tie Bimbo” Carlson stoking pro-Russian sentiment in America. Needless to say, every president — except Biden at the moment — has allowed Putin to walk all over neighboring countries, Western Allies, and America. Putin has been threatening democracies for — well — forever as democracies simply stand by and watch. And that is exactly what’s going to doom the Ukraine crisis. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: America and NATO are going to sacrifice Ukraine. Once the economic pressures of war hit home, then the alliance with falter. Mark my words!
What do you think is actually going to happen once Russia starts bombing and rolling over Ukraine in full force? How long do you think the country will hold out? A month? Six weeks? God bless Ukraine’s fighting forces and God bless the people’s will to resist Russia, but let’s be honest — and no one has openly admitted this in the public forum (MSM) that I;’ve read or seen — but Ukraine has no chance of prevailing. Sure, sure, Putin can find himself in a protracted guerilla war. But all he needs to do is overthrow Ukraine’s government; he doesn’t need to occupy every city and every block. Once his cronies are in their political places and the puppet government takeover is complete, then the war will be won and he’ll claim “peace” and victory. The aim is to control Ukraine’s government, not win the hearts and minds of the citizens. He’ll win their obedience in the end. What will Allies be doing all the while? Sanctions! Those things against which Russia has already been steeling itself. Unless there is a catastrophic screw-up whereby Russian forces find themselves having wandered into NATO territory or attacking NATO forces, then the Allies will just sit on the sidelines wringing their hands hoping for a quick end to war and accepting whatever occupation ensues. This is going to be Anschluss all over again.
One already gets a sense that America and NATO are weak-kneed. Zelensky makes a great point: If Biden thinks that Putin has decided to attack — and really I think the war started a few days ago — then why are the Allies still waiting to levy sanctions? I mean at the very least if they expect sanctions to be a deterrent, then shouldn’t the Allies show a bit of their hand by now when we are on the cusp of this war getting out of control? At this point, the “deterrent” of sanctions is merely empty words, as if the Allies have yet to agree on what sanctions would entail. Even Congress could not agree on a sanctions bill. From The New York Times, “For weeks, as President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia signaled he was moving closer to invading Ukraine, members of Congress in both political parties vowed that the Senate would pass a ‘mother of all sanctions’ bill targeting Moscow that would prove the overwhelming, bipartisan American resolve to stand with Kyiv against Russian aggression. But on Thursday evening, with the threat of invasion looming ever more acutely, senators could muster only the legislative equivalent of a strongly worded letter scolding Mr. Putin for a ‘provocative and reckless’ military buildup on Ukraine’s border, passing a nonbinding resolution quickly and without debate before leaving Washington for a weeklong break.” Jesus-f***ing-Christ-on-the-m*****f***ing-Cross! Welcome to stupid America!
Although, I should say without reservation that sanctions are not going to work; Putin’s Russia has been living under and coping with some sort of sanctions regime since they first occupied Crimea and parts of Eastern Ukraine; thus, either the West failed to impose meaningful penalties for Russia’s bad behavior going back years or the West never intended the sanctions to hurt that much in the first place because — you know — Russia exports a lot of energy resources and they are usually rewarded for it — Nord Stream I and Nord Stream II. So, you see that Russia’s occupation of a sovereign country engenders more business from the West! In either case, it appears the Allies and Congress are failing to get their act together beyond token strong words and warnings. I’m not sure why this juncture would be any different.
Wow! If I were Putin looking at the coordination and determination of the West to deter me, then I would be laughing. To be sure, NATO appears more unified than ever, but that unification is only in messaging and words. What happens when the rubber meets the road is a whole other situation. Not sure why democracies are always so pitiful at defending democracy. They have a habit of putting off the hard decisions until it’s too late, and it is too late for Ukraine.