For weeks the US talked about Russia’s impending invasion of Ukraine. On this one, the Biden administration got it right. Kudos to the intelligence community.
So why is Ukraine so ill supported and unprepared?
The Russians are going for the jugular- straight into its capital Kyiv. Odessa, a major port city, along with numerous other cities, are being bombed. We knew this was going to happen. Jennifer Griffin, National Security Correspondent for Fox, talking to Neil Cavuto, did a fantastic job concisely laying out what was going to happen in the Ukraine. Weeks before the invasion, the Biden administration made it clear they were not going to start World War III with Russia over this. NATO said yesterday they will only defend their pact, which does not include Ukraine, since Ukraine is not a part of NATO. That means Ukraine would be left alone on this.
Putin isn’t stupid. Russia has three times as many troops and more military supplies than Ukraine by a long shot. The US and Europe have harsh rhetoric toward Russia, but that’s all it is- rhetoric. A lot of barking without a bite. Peacocks trying to outdo each other. Like bullying in school- the teachers and other students know it’s wrong, but don’t get involved. Hey, what a show. European diplomats are looking at each other and in effect, saying, “At least it’s not me. We’ll get involved if it hurts our pact.”
What are they betting on, that even if Kyiv was captured they wouldn’t really capture the country because there would be insurrections? Is that what they want? Guerrilla warfare?
After two days of fighting, Putin is ready to halt if Ukraine surrenders. They say they don’t want to be invaders, but what is toppling a democratically elected government? They say they are supporting separatists, but what are they doing bombing eastern and western Ukraine? They talk about Ukraine causing genocide, but that hasn’t been substantiated by anyone, unless Putin thinks making Ukrainian the official language of Ukraine (shocking) amounts to genocide. (That’s one more than the US. We legally don’t have an official language.). Putin talks about “denazifiying” Ukraine. How then did they elect a Jewish president?
Looking at an unshaven President Volodymyr Zelensky only two days into the fighting, I’m worried.
Putin has a real chance of winning this one, to my dismay. We’ll fight against smaller foes in Iraq and Afghanistan where we can show off our mighty biceps, but against big boys with nuclear guns like Russia, we don’t have an answer yet.
