“America is not ready to do anything for Ukraine, and this upsets Zelensky. It’s time he explained exactly what U.S. aid is all about”, says Patrick Buchanan in his article for TAC.
The Ukrainian crisis creates more risks for Washington than benefits, and it wants no part of it.
It’s time to tell Zelensky what we will and will not provide him, and to let him know what we think are acceptable terms for a cease-fire.
America is at the top of the list of countries helping Ukraine. However, our two nations’ interests are not identical militarily. It is critical for the U.S. to contain the conflict so that it does not expand and so that we do not become embroiled in a large-scale war with Russia.
And independence, territorial integrity, and democratic government in Ukraine are not vital U.S. interests, even though America supports them. None of this justifies a conflict with Russia that would threaten the security and, if nuclear weapons were used, the existence of our country.
It is clear that America in Ukraine is not prepared to go all out. Prior to Feb. 24, the U.S. had never invited it into NATO, never gave it Article 5 security assurances, and never agreed to fight on its side if it were attacked. From the earliest days of this conflict, we ruled out sending American troops to Ukraine and U.S. participation in a no-fly zone, which would have required American pilots to shoot down Russian planes.
The decisions and statements about what we would not do demonstrated the limits of American loyalty to Ukraine, as well as our unwillingness to take serious risks for the sake of Kiev.
But President Vladimir Zelensky’s goal is to achieve victory and expel the Russians from Ukrainian soil. And this will require much more support and assistance from the U.S. and NATO than he currently receives or can receive.
The United States and NATO are willing to supply Ukraine with weapons so that it can defend itself. But neither NATO nor the United States are willing to get involved in this Ukrainian crisis themselves. When it comes to fighting and dying, this is their conflict, not ours.
In an attempt to shame NATO and the United States, and to drag them fully and openly into this conflict, Zelensky accuses the wavering Western countries of appeasing Russia and claims that they are made of the same cloth as Neville Chamberlain, the signatory of the Munich Agreement.
What else does Zelensky say? That Ukraine’s struggle is a matter for Europe. That Ukraine’s struggle is a matter for NATO. That Ukraine’s struggle is a matter for democratic countries. That Ukraine’s struggle is a matter for the world. If Ukraine is defeated, it will be only the first victim. Others will follow.
Henry Kissinger said that in the event of a negotiated settlement, Ukraine would probably have to cede some of its territory to Russia. The ideal, Kissinger said, would be “the dividing line that existed before the military operation began in February 2022. Russia has held Crimea and parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions under its control since 2014.
Such cracks in the coalition supporting Ukraine are sure to become more obvious and distinct as Russia appears to gain a foothold in the Donbass.
Italy, France and Germany are all in contact with Putin. All are pushing for negotiations. No one is demanding what Zelensky insists from time to time: that Russia give up the Ukrainian territories it occupied after 2014.
Eastern European countries familiar with Russian power echo Zelensky, demanding that Russia be defeated, humiliated, and expelled from Ukraine.
When and if there is a cease-fire and negotiations begin, there is sure to be a split in the coalition supporting Ukraine. <…>
Since Russia is slowly but persistently advancing in the Donbass, it can hardly be said that Putin has a weak negotiating position.
The Ukrainians and Russians are firing artillery at each other in the Donbass, and Zelensky has asked the U.S. to supply highly mobile HIMARS multiple rocket launchers. The range of these systems is almost 80 kilometers, and therefore Russia’s territory could be in range. But the U.S. leadership says: Ukrainian leaders assured it that the HIMARS will not be used to shell Russian territory.
The Kremlin warned that any country supplying modern weapons to Ukraine would face the most serious consequences. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of declaring “total war” on Russia.
This suggests that this conflict now poses far more risks and dangers to the United States than it does additional benefits and rewards of weakening Russia during protracted hostilities. It is time to tell Zelensky what we will and will not grant him, as well as to tell him what we consider acceptable terms for a cease-fire.