The civilian casualty figures tell me that Putin is being very careful not to kill civilians. The latest figures I saw suggest less than 500 casualties. Very small for such a conflict.
This gives him a huge negotiating tool: surrender or instructions not to harm civilians get rescinded.
No matter how many weapons we ship, it’s game over for Ukraine. The Ukrainian military is simply no match for the Russian forces. They may be valiant, brave, dedicated, etc., but they cannot hold off the Russians, who are on a tight leash for the moment.
It’s easy for us to egg the Ukrainians to resist, but we have no skin (a vulnerable civilian population or any of our forces) in the game. More important, we have no strategic national interest in the fight.
I know, I know, Putin’s a nasty piece of work, what he is doing is horrible, none of that can be denied. But I can’t help but think about what we’d be doing if Mexico, for example, came under Chinese control and became a military threat. The Monroe Doctrine would quickly be dusted off, no doubt about it.
This guy gets it:
realclearpolitics.com
Foreign policy is about control of spheres of influence. Ukraine is undoubtedly in Russia’s sphere.
We have no business risking WW III over Ukraine. |
