1 day Ago
Seeking to end a war is a noble goal. However, claiming that the Russia-Ukraine war would be ended in 24 hours as President Donald Trump did is the height of hyperbole. The president is finding that this war is more complicated than he originally thought.
Foreign policy is not like a real estate deal. Foreign policy issues are complex and must be dealt with by facing the realities behind the issues. This is reality: Russia has no interest in ending its war in Ukraine short of complete victory and eliminating Ukraine as a country.
After all, Russia is slowly but surely winning the war, but at a steep price in men and materiel. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goal is no secret; he published his objectives in a 2006 article he authored. He argued Ukrainians and Russians are descendants of the “Ancient Rus,” a Slavic clan dating to medieval times.
The Ukrainians and Russians were inseparable. Although Ukrainian sovereignty was recognized by Russia as early as 1918, Putin refuses to acknowledge it. When the old Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Ukraine’s 44 million citizens opted for total independence by a vote of 92% in favor.
The new Russian Federation formally recognized that independence in 1994 in the Budapest Memorandum. In exchange for Ukraine giving up its old Soviet nuclear weapons, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States each guaranteed Ukraine’s borders and its sovereignty. The United Nations recognized Ukraine’s sovereignty and granted it full membership.
Putin’s goal is to abolish the world-recognized sovereignty of Ukraine as an independent state. In 2014, Putin invaded and occupied Crimea, a recognized part of Ukraine. As a result of Russia’s February 2022 invasion, Putin now controls about 20% of Ukraine.
This invasion is an international crime as well as a strategic mistake by Russia. To lock in its gains, Russia has an active, well-financed effort to encourage Russian citizens to migrate and settle in these conquered areas. Most Ukrainians do not want to become a part of Russia.
Rather, they want to join the West as a part of the European Union. As a fledgling democracy, Ukraine has an elected parliament and operates under the rule of law. Its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has by latest count a 60% approval rating even during a war.
The Ukrainians have good reason not to trust the Russians, and we should not trust them either. It is difficult to name a treaty the Russians have abided by. Here are some they signed and later reneged on: the Budapest Memorandum, the Minsk Protocol, the Minsk Memorandum and the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity of a sovereign state.
Zelenskyy knows any agreement signed by Putin is not worth the paper it is written on. He also knows that if he agrees to anything that reduces Ukrainian sovereignty by surrendering parts of his country, his parliament and countrymen would vote him out of office. So, there will be no “deal.
” That is reality. Ukraine can win this war. The Russian economy is under great strain from international sanctions.
If the price of oil continues to drop, Putin could find himself in serious trouble. Trump implies that Ukraine is going to lose the war if it doesn’t “do a deal.” That is not true.
Clearly, the Ukrainian people support fighting this war. Brave men and women of courage throughout history have defied great odds and prevailed when freedom was on the line. Witness our own American Revolution.
Rather than pushing Ukraine into surrender, Trump should rally the West to resist the Russian invasion with needed weapons and ammunition. Ukraine has not asked for U.S.
troops. What it needs most is long-range weapons. Sweden, which just joined NATO because of the Russian threat, is sending a $295 million aid package to Ukraine that includes its advanced long-range Archer 155 mm mobile cannon and its advanced counter-battery radar system.
This artillery system can shoot and move quickly and reach more than 30 miles behind enemy lines. This weapons system could be a game-changer. The Russians have nothing comparable.
The United States should also send more Patriot missile batteries to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian rocket attacks. Instead of attacking Zelenskyy, Trump should criticize Putin for his invasion and his wanton attacks on civilian targets. America should always be on the side of those who desire freedom and democracy.
With continued Western support, Ukrainians can push the Russians out of Ukraine. That is reality. Thomas Dewey Wise is an attorney and author of four books.
He earned a master’s degree in international politics and military affairs from The Citadel. He can be reached at [email protected] .
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