Ukraine "on the ropes" again, as the U.S. defers to Putin's bombardments: his War Crime attacks on civilian life...

And one Patriot missile battery is not what will make the difference...

An elderly woman is consoled after Friday’s (12/16/2022) Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih, an industrial city in south central Ukraine, north of Kherson and to the west of Zaporizhzhya. AP photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Update Monday Morning, January 23, 2023:

From the front page article in the NY Times, this quote:

“We will build a smaller coalition of countries ready to donate some of their modern equipment, modern tanks,” Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland’s prime minister, told the Polish Press Agency in an interview published on Sunday. “We will not passively watch Ukraine bleed to death.”

And there are enough of the German tanks spread among various countries in Europe to put together a substantial number. The article goes on to say that Germany will not block that transfer of the tanks it sold to other nations.

Here’s the article link: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/01/23/world/russia-ukraine-news. The headline reads “Poland aims to Push Smaller Group of Nations to Send Tanks to Ukraine.”

Certainly the Baltic and Nordic neighbors in NATO, in or trying to get in if Turkey and Hungary would stop blocking them, can’t be happy to see the two major economic powers, the U.S. and Germany, still so cautious after the fate of modern Europe is on the line. While the pressures - and remembered horrors - of 20th Century German history are real, the German leaders have to realize the monster they’ve been dealing with -Putin’s Russia - which, whatever it does in terms of trade, violates the basic decency of human and civil rights on a rountine basis, and has been doing so for decades now. And has shown what it is cabable of in Chechnya, Syria and now Ukraine: Hitler like policies and methods.

Update Friday, January 20th, 2023

Letter/Email to the German Embassy in Washington, DC

Dear Ambassador Habe:

I think this is the first Email I've ever sent to a nation's embassy here in the United States, but the cause I write for is worth breaking the precedent. 

I was very disappointed to learn today that not only is  Germany not sending its Leopard 2 Main Battle tank to aid Ukraine, but also that it is blocking the other nations using the wepon from doing so as well.  

Here's hoping that Poland flaunts your embargo and challenges you to take it to court.  The Poles, from a long and tragic history know what is at stake in dealing with Mr. Putin and the Russia he has moulded over the past decades: we either crush the war criminal now or pay the price in other invaded nations in the coming years.  That's what I've learned from Professor Timothy Snyder's course at Yale.  

Here you may find my extensive writings on the war, and the call for the US to send the long range attack missiles it has so far been denying, along with the Leopard 2 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles in far greater numbers, and at least 500 mobile howitzers.

Once again Great Britain is showing the way, along with Poland, just as they did in 1939 and 1940.  

Ukraine "on the ropes" again, as the U.S. defers to Putin's bombardments: his War Crime attacks on civilian life...

 

I hope Germany changes its mind before it is too late.  Its alleged insistance that the US send its Abrams tanks first or simultaneously makes no tactical sense since they are so hard to maintain, fuel and service; far better they are held in reserve in Poland where they can be serviced by US trained personnel.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  Time is short, lives - not German or American ones - but Ukrainian ones, are at stake at the hands of the most dangerous totalitarian leader since the 1930's.

Sincerely,

William R. Neil

Frostburg, MD

williamrneil.substack.com date

Update, Wednesday, January 18, 2023: my comment in the NY Times online commentary:

Your comment has been approved!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with The New York Times community.

William Neil | Maryland
When all is said and done, the longer range missiles we have so far denied Ukraine, are crucial, as are the tanks, heavy main battle tanks (perhaps not our hard to maintain Abrams) which US pressure, especially on Germany can leverage out. The commentary recently by retired General Hertling that the latest Ukrainian ground ask, equivalent to the heavy arms for two full armored divisions, are unrealistic, don't seem to me to be so if we are looking at the actual needs on the battlefield. And these needs are not all offensive; if Russia launches attacks from multiple directions, including on Kyiv again, then 300 battle tanks, 600-700 hundred Infantry Fighting Vehicles (I count only about 100 in the recent package) and 500 tracked howitzers is eminently reasonable, even if it means depleting some of NATO's own inventory. In my view, Ukraine has been doing all the dirty work of war, military and civilian, since it began, with the US's failure to deter the Russians in the first place. Framed this way, is it too much to ask the West, especially France, Germany, the US, and Britain too, to carry the bulk of the industrial side of manufacturing more and resupply, including especially munitions? And aircraft? No mention of those although I did hear a retired US Air Force senior officer mention A-10 warthogs again. Bravo. These have been my views from the very beginning, found here:

And here is the link to article I’ve commented on: U.S. Warms to helping Ukraine Target Crimea: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/us/politics/ukraine-crimea-military.html

Ukraine "on the ropes" again, as the U.S. defers to Putin's bombardments: his War Crime attacks on civilian life...

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Update, MLK Holiday, Jan. 16th, 2023: The Lithuanian foreign minister is speaking from Davos, and is focused on what I have been also over the past months: get Ukraine the weapons it needs to defeat and evict the Russians: especially longer range missiles still being withheld by the US, and the main battle tanks, 12 Challenger 2 now freed to go by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Great Britain, courageously, in an attempt to shake up Germany to release its Leopard 2 tanks, many in the hands of other European countries who need Germany’s permission to release them. The key part of video begins at about 6:21:

Editor’s Note: January 12, 2023: I’ve been sifting sources on the fluid debate, with more and more former military higher ups in the US and Britain saying the “infantry fighting vehicles” I described below in my 1/7/23 update won’t be enough, nor, will, in their opinion just 10-12 British Challenger Main Battle tanks either. The pressure on the Germans, the French and the US is mounting, with Poland saying its willing to send its batch of Leopard II German battle tanks to Ukraine. There is a possible joint decision from NATO coming up within a week or so, but as best I can judge the impetus to send the heavier tanks is coming from Western intelligence sources which believe Russia is planning a major offensive soon to add to the pressure cooker in the Donbas region in the East where the fighting is see-sawing now, house to house in several towns, and from my main worry, that there will be a major Russian push from Belarus south towards Kyiv. It’s possible that could be a serious feint to draw attention from more forces going to the Eastern front…either way that is more serious trouble brewing for Ukraine; unmentioned now for several days is the cessation of Russian drone and missile attacks on the energy grid… Why? The reasons for the are not being discussed. That’s the best I can do from where I sit sifting through many sources from different countries…and I’m pleased to be ahead of the curve in the lobbying for heavy tanks and still further away, more artillery and then planes for Ukraine. As well as the longer range missiles capable of reaching 100-350 miles into Russia, Belarus and Crimea. The West’s caution in challenging Putin’s real or imaginery red lines is putting Ukraine's gutty performance over a year at risk…

The war is far from won, the Russians far from being evicted back to the 1991 boundaries. And I would look for some very serious Ukrainian effort over the next month or so to attack again the bridge route at Kerch, the leading supply route to Kherson and Crimea, which was hit on October 8th by what looks like a very large truck bomb. The details are a well kept secret. It may well be in Russian strategic thinking that they realize evicting them from Crimea is the key objective for Ukraine, and further attacks in the East and perhaps towards Kyiv from the North could slow or cancel Ukrainian plans for a spring offensive in the South. And the tank discussion is intensifying at the same time Russia is shifting generals around. Too soon and too murky is the speculation around what that means.

One last point for those who follow military tactics and strategy. The type of warfare we’re seeing has led one sharp observer to note that the biggest change in warfare from the Second World War, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and the misplaced US one on Iraq, is that surveillance by satellite, planes, drones and electronic intercepts of all sorts, hacking of all sorts, makes it very difficult to assemble large forces, above the company size of 130 to 180 soldiers, not to mention masses of armor, without being clubbered by rockets and keyed in artillery.

That’s Anders Puck Nielsen above. He lectures at the Royal Danish Defense College and is a naval specialist and a also a Russian specialist. He has sounded, over the past year, pretty cool headed and disinterested to me. Not the world’s livliest speaker, but pretty clear and direct. If he doesn’t know he’ll state that as well.

Editor’s Note: January 7th, 2023: On the French, German and American decision to send obsolete (my characteriztion) infantry fighting vehicles, and a light tank to Ukraine. Despite the general trend of the commentary, that this is another small step in deeper Western involvement, it is still along the axis of denying Ukraine the ability to hit Russian targets greater than 50-75 miles away, especially massing and launching areas inside the Russian border, and Belarus as well with: missile systems of longer range, advanced fighter aircraft, and main battle tanks. I did a little digging on the vehicles involved, 50 Bradley fighting vehicles from the US, 40 Marder’s from Germany and an undisclosed number of the AMX-10RC light tanks from France, which are wheeled not tracked “tanks,” with a 105mm main gun, a size down from the main armament of the German Leopard and American Abrams, which started out with a 105 mm turret gun but shifted to the 120mm version in later versions. All three of the proposed vehicles in this iteration have been phased out or on the way out of the donating nation’s inventory: the Stryker replacing the Bradley, the Puma replacing the Marder (Puma having big mechanical problems in training exercises) and the French AMX-10RC, in service since the 1980’s, being replaced by the EBRC Jaguar. Just a little more context here than the main currents of reporting. (Also see my closing note below on retired General Breedlove’s bold recommendation on a Times radio video from Jan. 5th, where the original headline has been changed, quite now off topic from Breedlove’s call to get Ukraine now the offensive weapons to strike much deeper into Russia. In that call, he was crossing the diplomatic line of Biden and NATO, fearful of Putin’s wrath on decisive escalations. The vehicles described above seem to me helpful but not decisive in nature and numbers. )

Editor’s Note: I am pleased to have given citizens a head’s up Saturday, the 17th, on how crucial the situation is in Ukraine, and break with the optimist’s belief that they are doing just fine. If that were the case, I don’t believe that President Zelensky’s surprise visit to the White House and to address Congress today, Wednesday, December 21st, the Winter Solstice, would be in the offing. That’s not the way one does a “victory lap.” This is not just Ukraine’s fight, this is ours too in the West, if you understand what Putin’s Russia stands for. He stands threatening “The Gates of Europe,” the title of Serhii Plokhy’s history of Ukraine. The urgent need is to stop the war crime attacks on civilians and their infrastructure from the air, and soon another attack on Kyiv from the ground, from Belarus. My short essay explains why Ukraine needs the longer range missiles so far denied it, called ATACMS, to take the fight to the launching bases in Russia itself, Belarus and captive Crimea. And it maybe that to stop the attacks on civilians, even longer range surface to surface missiles will be needed. The U.S. and NATO have allowed Putin to call the tune of what is allowable for far too long. That must change if Ukraine is to survive, and we are to stop the most aggressive totalitarian on the Eurasian continent.

Editor’s Follow-Up Note, Dec. 22nd, Post Visit: This NY Times article tells us more about the substance of President Zelensky’s visit and Washington’s strategic response than most of what I have seen. What we did not hear in Zelensky’s speech is likely the more important story and it fits well with my article and update just above, especially about ATACMS longer range missiles and fear of Putin’s initiative to launch a wider war, involving NATO. It’s reasonable if you are in the safe driver’s seat in Washington and Brussels, but not if you are in the trenches, cities and villages of Ukraine itself. I don’t think this Washington decision to deny Ukraine what it wants - and to be clear, militarily needs the most - will hold over time. It’s good to see retired General Ben Hodges dissent from the Biden approach; I’ve been increasingly impressed by Hodges positions and the thinking behind them. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/22/us/politics/ukraine-zelensky-biden-weapons.html

Editor’s Follow-Up Note, Dec. 23rd: The AP News story today: “Russia Scrubs Mariupol’s Ukraine Identity, builds on Death.” By Lori Hinnant, Vasilisa Stepanenko, Sarah El Deeb and Elizaveta Tilna; I’ve followed the AP’s Ukraine reporting from the early stages of the war, and have found it top notch, and this continues their fine work: Professor Timothy Snyder has said that Russia’s war and policies on Ukraine meet all six of his characteristics to make a case for genocide…this comes pretty close to meeting them…

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-erasing-mariupol-499dceae43ed77f2ebfe750ea99b9ad9

In addition, I wrote several pieces here pleading with the West to aid Mariupol, everything from an airdrop to air cover/no fly zone to set up an evacuation route for civilians. No dice, too risky and perhaps it was just impossible to pull off that late in the siege…If there is a fitting analogy to this city’s fate from WWII, it was the fate of Warsaw in 1944, written about so movingly by historian Norman Davies in “Rising ‘44: The Battle for Warsaw (2003) which was part of my reading “program” on Central and Eastern Europe in 2021. Readers can use their own imaginations to visualize what a Russian triumph will mean for Ukraine’s people under Putin’s rule. Purges and deportations to match Stalin’s.

Some usually very sensitive leftist souls have scored zero on an empathy scale over this war, in my opinion. Given the history of the West since 1989-1991, they simply can’t imagine a creature like Putin could become a monster on the world stage - and get away with it in Chechnya, Syria, Georgia, Crimea and now Ukraine. Even though we were forewarned by his treatment of journalists, political dissidents and candidates, pursued even into Western nations famous for their human rights traditions. They hate Trump with all their might, but seem to have a disconnect on the “why’s” of his sympathies for Putin and other authoritarian leaders.

Editor’s note: Update, Dec. 24th: “Why the Russian Army is so Brutal.” General Sir Richard Shireff at the Times (of London) Radio, on YouTube, 4:56 minutes.

Again, part of the General’s plea, and mine as well, for the comfortable US and NATO not to forget the nature of the enemy Ukraine is facing, and that they will face as well, if Ukraine fails. Stalemate and a strung out war with Ukraine fighting with one hand or more tied behind its back because of the aversion to risk running on Biden’s part to challenge Putin’s framework (demands) that the West not supply Ukraine with weapons that could reach inside Russian controlled territory to get at the major soource nodes of Russia’s attacks.

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Editor’s Note: January 5, 2023 Update; General Breedlove: “The West Must Give Ukraine Permission to attack Russia.” Here at Times Radio (London Times) 23 minutes. No beating around the topics, cuts right to the key issues: strange how at YouTube the headings have changed from what led me to insert this - that Breedlove says the West must give the Ukraines the weapons to strike inside Russia…to what you see below…I wanted to see if the actual video was the same (it was) as I intended, but the framing for the casual browsing public has shifted completely from what first caught my attention…hmmm. {added this note Jan 7th.)

General Philip M. Breedlove is a retired four star US Air Force General who has served as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO as well as head of Air Operations in the European Theatre. Relevant experience, I believe, for what he talks about. With a cutting edge he says the US and NATO have signaled a “guarantee… a sanctuary for Russia” by limiting the Ukraine’s self-defense to a certain permimeter away from Russia with the weapons we supply. That has to end.

Dear Citizens and Elected Officials:

I was not planning to write at all just before Christmas, being busy researching for a longer piece I hope to publish in the usually depressive time between the 25th and New Year’s day. It will be on the collapse of Nature’s biodiversity and biomass, and what isn’t being done about it. Hopefully, it will be blunt but constructive with recommendations. If you want to get a preview of the theme and melody, then I invite you to read Michael McCarthy’s “The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy” (2015), which is both a eulogy and euphoric tribute to Nature, and for a quick take the review of it in the New York Review of Books will do quite well as an introduction.

Now to the matter at hand, which I haven’t written about since two postings in July, and one in October of this year. I’ve been cautious but reading steadily if not immersed in the commentary since then, military and civilian, and the gains of Ukraine on the ground in the southern and eastern theatres of war. However, with the change in the top Russian military leadership to a general renowned for his brutality - Sergei Surovikin - who looks like a villain from the old James Bond movies (Sean Connery vintage) - it was not difficult to see what was emerging as the Russian strategy of destroying Ukrainian infrastructure in tune with the coming of winter.

Sergei Surovikin with Vladimir Putin at a Kremlin awards ceremony for troops who fought in Syria, in 2017. Photograph: Alexei Druzhinin/AP

Today, those attacks look unrelenting, with an unknown level of re-supply coming from Iran. The number of missiles/drones launched on Friday the 16th has been raised from the ‘70’s to the 90’s. Despite a high “kill” ratio, enough always get through to the key infrastructural nodes (which Russia knows very well) to plunge large sections of Ukraine back into lightless, heatless and waterless forms of psychological - and physical - torture.

From what I know about this type of cruise/drone missile barrage, the offense always has the advantage of overwhelming the defense, which was one of the key factors weighing in in our Pentagon’s war game projections for a contest with Iran and which did not turn out so well for us. And keep that in mind, please, China hawks.

Despite the courage, inventiveness and adaptability of Ukraine’s military, they have a still very limited ability to get at the sources of their airborne torment coming from inside Russia, Belarus and Crimea. Yes, they have tossed some drones (or missiles?) to some effect deep inside Russia to hit airbases, and used special forces strikes to do the same, but the scale and number are woefully inadequate. And I hope the commandoes have cyanide pills with them.

What is going on despite the recent French and European pledge to get Ukraine the replacement and backup electrical components they surely need, is that the U.S., especially President Biden but Germany and France as well, are forcing Ukraine to fight the first major war of the 21st century with more than one hand tied behind its back. By that I mean this: we are depriving Ukraine of the more advanced missiles with greater ranges than the HIMARS systems, denying them the ability to hit back at the sources of their torment at ranges of 100-500 miles. That policy is to defer to Mr. Putin’s threats, despite his having retreated somewhat from his earlier nuclear bluster. Of course Putin did not hesitate to threaten to destroy any Patriot systems we deliver, however indecisive they will prove to be.

What is missing are these US attack missiles with ranges to put Russia on the defensive, hundreds more of mobile artillery pieces, as well as at least a thousand advanced tanks which we have so far denied them. Russia is digging in the South and East to build triple zones of defensive obstacles reminiscent of warfare on the Eastern Front in World War II, 1941-1943: scores of miles of trenches, anti-tank ditches and concrete “dragon’s teeth,” all meant to make up for the superior Ukrainian morale, imaginative tactics and better unit cohesion. Russia is planning for the long run, to slow the Ukraine military while it concentrates on breaking its civilian morale. If Russia does go to all out conscription, enlists Belarus in an fresh invasion attempt from the northwest towards Kyiv, in addition to the continued pressure on civilian life, at Russia’s will, then there are no guarantees Ukraine can hold up short of actual Western intervention: boots on the ground and planes in the air.

If the timid Mr. Biden, Germany and France want to avoid that fate which they have openly feared from the beginning, giving a tremendous tactical advantage to Putin and his war crimes, then supplying the missing offensive tools I have listed above will prevent that fate. Not without risk of course, the risks being some type of nuclear use by Putin. We must face that risk, and all along, I’ve been writing that we need to call Putin’s bluff on it. Or stand by and watch Ukraine be destroyed before our very eyes - for Christmas.

And to the large number of leftist critics of this war, critics right from the start: you are right that if Ukraine should win, the attached conditions of support now, and to rebuild, are loaded with Neoliberal oligarchical conditions, against labor and opening up that rich, black Ukrainian agricultural land to ownership by anyone - except perhaps Russians. I take due note that there is little talk of conditioning the aid on Ukraine going green in innovative ways; surely because so much has been destroyed this is a great opportunity to rebuild with that in mind. Where is that discussion? Let’s get it started.

But a left which has lost if not capitulated to the Biden corporatists here in the US, and the demise of Social Democracy in Europe along the same lines, so well sketched out for us in books and speeches by Yanis Varoufakis since at least 2015, this is the “given” of our economic world as it stands. So the conditions and outcomes for Ukraine seem prescribed; to me, that is not what I wish for, but it is up to the Ukrainian people to decide the shape of their economic future, and no matter how oligarchical it may seem now, it is better, far better, than being under a totalitarian thug like Putin, with his generals still dripping civilian blood from the Chechnya and Syrian wars.

And here is the military case made by General Sir Richard Shirreff, from Great Britain:

From Times Radio, Dec. 14th.

Editor’s Update, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022:

From the NY Times, an article by Andrew E. Kramer: “Ukraine Says Russia is Training Soldiers for Possible New Offensive.” https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/18/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-winter.html

And from two earlier letters of mine, online at the New York Times, one from October 24th and the other November 10th, responding to the following articles.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/24/world/europe/ukraine-devastation-russian-retreat.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/10/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-casualties-deaths.html

(Editor’s Note: this online comment of mine followed directly in the wake of one of the strangest breeches of military subordination to civilian authority since Truman-MacArthur during the Korean War; that is General Milley’s (Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff) suggestion that with winter coming, and 100,000 in military casualties on each side, it was time to talk. The General’s comment was completely at odds with repeated US policy statements that it would be Ukraine who determines when to talk, and on what terms.)

William Neil

MarylandOct. 24

I don't see how Ukrainians make it alive, especially the older ones, through the winter, starting with the November rains, without the type of military tents designed to keep troops dry and relatively warm and fed while in winter operations. I would think Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark should lead the way; I don't know what the US capabilities are other than I would hope the 10th Mountain division, if it still exists, had this type of equipment. France, Germany, Poland I don't know...lots of other candidates: Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, the Baltics...the US.

Since Biden and the National Security Crew have, with their ultra caution dragged out the war and thus the damage to civilian life, and are adamant to this day on no US boots on the ground - well, at least send our winter facilities. Surgical field hospitals?

It's been an asymmetrical war since the beginning in this clear sense: we won't hit the Russian sources of civilian deaths inside Russia, or even allow Ukraine to do so; all the while Russia is free to bomb the entire country from within its thus safe launching areas. Despite the facts that by International law, Russia is committing war crimes and Ukraine has the legal right to attack the bases sending the death to its people. After watching nearly a year of negotiating, Biden with Senator Joe Manchin, I really didn't expect any different, Ukraine is lucky to get what they have, as inadequate as it is. Too little too late despite its bravery.

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4 REPLIES

John Brown commented October 24JJohn BrownWashington D.C.Oct. 24

@William Neil Progressives starting to second guess the war effort. Ukraine's advance is running up against the cold wall of winter. Russia will retreat to defensible positions and rebuild weapons, ammunition, men, and supply stores, while buying time with Iranian drones and other purchased weaponry. Spring will bring a new offensive on both sides but who will be left standing after a cold winter with no electrical power in the field, a flagging coalition of political support behind them, and a GOP Congress looking towards transparency of where these weapons are going instead of continuing to write blank checks without questions? Valid questions as year one comes to a close.

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GPike commented October 24GGPikeCanadaOct. 24

@William Neil You accuse Biden of dragging out the war?!?! Seriously? With the Republicans wanting to shut down ALL help to Ukraine (and say they will follow through with that threat whenever they get the necessary power) I believe his administration is doing whatever they can. US troops officially on the ground would be the start of WW3, the same as the US firing missiles into Russian would be. DINO Manchin is everyone's obstacle and is in it for no one but himself, as he proves time and time again. The Republicans are doing everything they can, with whatever means they have, to stop US aid going to Ukraine. They no longer support democracy abroad or, for that matter, at home, as they continue to prove through their words and actions. It is now day 243 of Putin's 3 day 'Special Operation'.

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Kashmar commented October 24KKashmarMassachusettsOct. 24

@John Brown The cold wall of winter...it seems like there is a widespread consensus that winter will bring an operational pause. However, both the Ukrainian and Russian militaries train to fight in winter. Ukraine's open fields will harden, making advances with heavy equipment easier. Streams and rivers freeze, mitigating issues with crossings. Examples abound of winter warfare in this region. Fighting unfortunately can continue as long as either side views an opportunity. So...the Russians are intentionally making winter difficult. Primarily for Ukraine's innocent citizens, with the goal of undermining the Ukrainian government. If they can, the Ukrainians have every incentive to continue attacking the Russians throughout the winter. Time is not on their side. There isn't much incentive for either side to stop offensive operations just because of the weather. The GOP is truly concerned about transparency? That sounds great, although it implies the Biden administration and Congress is ignoring this issue. The GOP could, of course, start this process at home. They could put America First, by negotiating on Democrat led legislation that would make political campaign contribution information more accessible and open to voters.

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Max commented October 25MMaxNew York, NYOct. 25

@William Neil Ukrainians have been making it out alive despite the vicious onslaught they've endured from Russia. They survived winters of WW1 and WW2, they will survive this upcoming one just fine. Biden is not dragging out the war. It is Putin that is dragging this out by refusing to accept that he has lost and will not be able to fully conquer Ukraine as he wants to. That attempting to do so is not worth the massive loss of life to his own people and his military, and his country being cut off from the rest of the global economy and reduced to pariah status. He can end this at any time by simply withdrawing his forces by withdrawing his forces back to Russia and stop threatening Ukraine and the west. He refuses to, so the war drags on. Simple as that.

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A subsequent comment in the Times:

William Neil

MarylandNov. 10

I'm for Ukraine all the way, meaning the restoration of its 1991 borders. I have been urging the Biden administration not to support an unequal conflict, meaning Putin/Russia throws whatever they can launch from wherever they find it effective, but we won't let Ukraine hit back if its on Russia or Belarus territory. That's in violation of international law which allows the attacked to respond in kind; plus Russia fighting what Timothy Snyder has called "genocide" or some version of it. All along Pres. Biden has said Ukraine is in charge of the terms for settlement, not us, so Gen. Milley's statement, blatantly contradicts that; it is open pressure to settle this winter before Ukraine has won decisively in terms of their lands. His analogy for World War I was not accepted by France, Britain or Germany from 1917-1918 despite much, much greater bloodshed, military, approaching the level of deaths in the Bloodlands of Snyder's research, 1932-1945. But France would not talk, despite mutinies by its soldiers, because they had paid the biggest price in occupied land and civilian destruction along with Belgium (and Russia of course). It did not end until the combination of Russian withdrawal from the war and US intervention turned the tide against Germany. It was the almost impossible peace terms, esp. financial, which laid the groundwork for Hitler & WWII, along with little states who could not protect themselves. So I read history the opposite way of the good General.

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Milou commented November 10MMilouLouisianaNov. 10

@William Neil, agreed. And Timothy Snyder is the true expert on this conflict. His Fall 2022 Yale course “The Making of Modern Ukraine” is available to audit on YouTube. His books are on the required reading list, as is “The Gates of Europe” by Serhii Plokhy, Harvard’s Ukraine expert. It’s beyond high time we got fully behind Ukraine and gave them all the weapons they need to blast Russia off Ukrainian soil for good and forever. This “death by a thousand cuts” approach is cowardly and just plain wrong.

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Louche Bear commented November 10

Louche Bear

BulgariaNov. 10

@William Neil Very good. You have read European History. Your words will fall on mostly deaf ears, despite their correctness. I agree with you.

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MG commented November 10MMGVANov. 10

@Milou, agreed! If all Americans listened to Snyder's free Ukrainian history course, there would be ZERO politicians talking about reducing assistance to Ukraine, which is currently a tiny FRACTION of our natl security budget. Snyder's Twitter thread on Nov. 6 outlines how Ukrainian resistance is protecting the US and our own democracy. Worth a read!

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William Neil commented November 10WWilliam NeilMarylandNov. 10

@Milou Thanks Milou. Ditto (I can say that now that Limbaugh is gone). I'm on Lecture 17 at You Tube, which is very important, when Snyder gets into the details of the Ukrainian Nationalist movement between 1939-1943, when very ugly things happened; he puts their small numbers into perspective, something the American left refuses to do, without making excuses for the thuggery and pogroms against Polish peasants. Serhii Plokhy was kind enough to reply to an Email to him supporting Ukraine early on, thanking me and urging me to read his book on the Cuban missile crisis, which I have. Purely by coincidence, my political life in the US being put in the freezer, I devoted most of 2021 to reading about Eastern Europe and also a long overdue "vacation" with Arendt's Origins of Totalitarianism, which has many surprises which were not shared with me, or probably most students of the Cold War era: how the societies of West and East Europe came to the stalemates and futilities of their Parliamentary arrangements. She was a lot tougher on "bourgeois" society, though no Marxist, than the snippets from her, transmitted to us, would have lead us to believe. Even Piketty comments on that in the second of his two great volumes, how her escape to the US moderated her views about middle class capitalist life in the US. Also took a "refresher course" in Russian history since 1917, Vasily Grossman's two volumes, Stalingrad and Life and Fate.

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William Neil commented November 10WWilliam NeilMarylandNov. 10

@Louche Bear Many thanks. Yeah, fall on deaf ears. So be it. Have to write it down and push for the views despite F.P. being the hardest policy, next to economics for the "layman" to influence. Might even make me take up a subs. to "Foreign Affairs" after I drop the New Yorker and the NY Review of Books who seem to be drifting in Biden land as the best we can do. Well, if worst comes to worst, I can settle down and read again, with decades intervening, Jan Morris trilogy on the end of the British Empire. Cheers.

Best to all my readers for Christmas and New Year’s, and as we enjoy our Western comforts, please keep the plight of Ukraine in mind.