Rothkopf: We've Done Lots for Ukraine, but Winning Will Take Much More

[Nevilledog]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/david-rothkopf-writes-weve-done-lots-for-ukraine-but-winning-will-take-much-more

No paywall
https://archive.is/4pica

While the Western commitment to send tanks to Ukraine was a welcome breakthrough, it should not be seen as a panacea. At this crucial juncture in the war between Russia and Ukraine, the outcome of the conflict is far from clear and it will take at least two major shifts in U.S. and NATO policies to capitalize on the successes achieved by Kyiv during the past year.

The first change required is to recognize that it is time to move toward an even more aggressive approach toward providing Ukraine with weapons, ammunition, and other vital supplies going forward. Welcome and essential as they have been, every provision of new weapons systems thus far has been a painstaking negotiation. Every step along the way toward providing more aid has been greeted by critics echoing Russian warnings that upgraded assistance to Ukraine could lead to potentially out-of-control escalation by Moscow. But that escalation has not happened. Russia’s capabilities have been proven to be far less than touted by them or by Western analysts before the war. They can’t beat Ukraine. They are not going to undertake a war against NATO that would lead to certain, swift disaster for Putin & Co.

We must acknowledge this fact and confidently shift to a different aid footing. For three decades the U.S. has been guided by the so-called Powell Doctrine that states that if we enter a war we should do so with overwhelming force. Providing ourselves with narrow margins of advantage is seen as dangerous… because it is.

As the war has progressed this past year, we have come to realize that the only true threat to NATO and Europe would be for Russia to be able to defeat Ukraine and to get away with its land grab and atrocities in that country. That is what we must avoid at all costs. And the only way to do that is to provide Ukraine with more rather than “just enough” assistance.

*snip*

[leftstreet]

1. FFS whatever happened to diplomacy n/t

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. Ask Neville Chamberlain. Nt

[leftstreet]

4. lol I said diplomacy, not appeasement n/t

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. You don't use diplomacy with genocidal regimes

Except to arrange either the terms of surrender or total withdrawal.

[Crunchy Frog]

5. There are some people that it just doesn't work with.

Putin has reneged on practically every agreement that he or his country has ever signed. Early in the war he couldn't even keep an agreement to maintain a ceasefire and a green corridor for civilians to evacuate for a few hours.

This is an enemy who has explicitly rejected the UN Charter and refuses to follow the Geneva Conventions. They utilize mass rape, including of children, mass imprisonment and torture, including of children, large scale killings of civilians and military in their custody, and mass deportations/kidnapping of children.

How exactly do you think diplomacy would work under these circumstances?

[Nevilledog]

6. This 👆

[Irish_Dem]

10. Hard to negotiate with someone who tortures, rapes, murders children.

And lies all the time.

And would kill us all in our beds just because he can.

Putin will never ever keep any agreement he makes.
Never.

[Kaleva]

13. Diplomacy doesn't work with leaders like Putin

[Deuxcents]

3. Ukraine is not giving. Nor should we or other democracies invested in this. 🇺🇦

[former9thward]

7. We and other democracies are not losing any lives.

Do we encourage the war to go on until the last Ukrainian?

[Deuxcents]

9. It is Ukraine 's fight that we are helping and there have been

American volunteers/instructors on the front lines who’ve lost their lives. The Ukrainians have asked for help and we are..we just can’t walk away nor should we unless or until they ask us to stop I hope I’m wrong but they won’t be the last calling for help if Putin isn’t taken care of.

[Irish_Dem]

11. We need to ensure Ukraine wins the war.

Not just keep giving them enough to keep it going.

[Kaleva]

12. The Ukrainians seem determined to fight this to the end

[Javaman]

14. the job of the attacker is to win. the job of the defender is not to lose.

Ukraine, as much as they want to "win", they just need to not lose.

they need to drain the rooksies of all their blood and willingness.