Ukrainians are fighting and dying for OUR freedom; U.S. and NATO should stop talk of negotiations; Putin or “Pynja” loses support among war backers, who increasingly view him as a “loser”

Note to readers

The publication schedule of the Trenchant Observations newsletter since Saturday has been disrupted, due to the fact that I have been involved in a move which has required much more time than anticipated.

A lot has been going on, both in Ukraine and in Iran, as well as in Afghanistan.

We will catch up.

In Ukraine, the Ukrainians have been winning the war on the ground, despite President Joe Biden's adamant refusal to supply Ukraine with the advanced weapons they need to defend their cities and infrastructure, and to press forward with the momentum they have gained on the ground.

The way the U.S. and NATO countries watch the war ftom the sidelines, as by-standers, paying but a small fraction of their national budgets or GDP for weapons and financial aid to Ukraine, and unwilling to take any risks by standing up to Putin, is absolutely shameful.

Ukrainian soldiers, men and women, are putting their lives on the line and dying every day, in order to defend our freedom, the United Nations Charter and international law, and our civilization.

Meanwhile, Americans and citizens from other civilized countries pursue their primary goal of not getting directly involved in a military conflict with Russia.

While Ukraine has been winning the war on the ground, Vladimir Putin and Russia have been winning the war on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

By their restrictions on weapons they supply and their use, Biden and NATO have ensured that Ukraine must fight with one hand tied behind its back.

Biden and the U.S. -led coalition have in effect condemned Ukraine to not have the weapons it needs to defend its cities and civilian infrastructure against Russian attacks, or even to use the weapons it has received to the full extent authorized by international law.

It is scandalous, and should outrage populations which, unfortunately, seem to have lost their capacity to feel outrage.

These brave Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are fighting and dying for our freedom.

When will Americans and citizens in NATO and Ukraine-coalition countries understand that central fact, and do more to stand up to Putin?

When will they understand that it is their United Nations Charter, their international law, and their civilization that must be defended against Russian aggression and barbarism?

When will they, with this understanding, find the courage to act, to stand up to Putin, and—taking the risks of opposing Putin, by force if necessary—act effectively to defeat Russia?

Yes, when will they act effectively to defeat Russian fascism and barbarism, which pose a mortal threat to our modern civilization and its fundamental pillars, the United Nations Charter and international law?

***

The following article is adapted from The Trenchant Observer, November 21, 2022.

Dispatches

1) Mikhail Zygar, “Putins schönster Spitzname; Früher nannten sie ihn Chef und hielten ihn für unbesiegbar. Nach dem Rückzug aus Cherson verlieren aber selbst die Kriegsbefürworter in Russland den Glauben an ihren Herrscher. Und machen sich über ihn lustig,” Der Spiegel, den 20. November 2022 (08.03 Uhr);

2) Mikhail Zygar, "Putin's most beautiful nickname; They used to call him boss and thought he was invincible. After the withdrawal from Kherson, however, even the war advocates in Russia lose faith in their ruler. ruler. And make fun of him," Der Spiegel, November 20, 2022 (8:03 am);

3) Eliot A. Cohen, “Cut the Baloney Realism; Russia’s war on Ukraine need not end in negotiation,” The Atlantic, November 21, 2022 (11:08 a.m. ET);

Analysis

Eliot A. Cohen, in his “must-read” article today effectively refutes the argument the U.S. seems to be making to Ukraine, pressuring it to signal its openness to enter into negotiations with Vladimir Putin.

Cohen writes,

The calls for negotiations, like the strategically inane revelations of our fears of escalation—inane because they practically invite the Russians to get inside our head and rattle us—are dangerous.

He argues, as we have, that the U.S. and NATO should instead provide the long-range ATACMS artillery rockets for use with the HIMARS artillery units that Ukraine now has, that U.S. F-16 fighter jets should be transferred to Ukraine, and that modern battle tanks, specifically the German Leopard tanks that are mothballed and available, should be transferred to Ukraine. Also, the U.S should urge allies to do more to help Ukraine militarily, particularly Israel which should do more to help with Ukrainian air defense.

Of cardinal importance, Cohen argues, is the establishment of clear goals, which should include expelling Russian forces from Ukraine’s internationally recognuzed borders–i.e., the borders of 1991 including the Crimea and the Donbas.

Cohen continues,

The means to that end are clear: extensive and unstinting arming of Ukraine with all weaponry short of nuclear bombs, and a crushing and comprehensive system of economic sanctions on an isolated Russia.

Finally, he concludes,

The calls for negotiations, like the strategically inane revelations of our fears of escalation—inane because they practically invite the Russians to get inside our head and rattle us—are dangerous. It is the nature of a small, embattled ally to look over its shoulder at those who support it today but may lack the grit required to do so over a long period of time. These calls telegraph a lack of strategic patience and staying power that only encourages Russia. Moreover, an official, understated discussion of talks can take a particularly disingenuous form: The decision to negotiate is yours, but we won’t give you the weapons to get any further than you have gone.

Zygar describes how even among war supporters, Putin is becoming an object of ridicule. A new nickname for Putin is catching on: “Punja” or loser.

The Trenchant Observer