Five months later, media ignoring war in Ukraine
DEAR EDITOR:
People who value freedom, national selfdetermination and an orderly world must continue to support Ukraine in its resistance to unlawful Russian aggression.
It’s been five months, and interest in Ukraine is flagging. Media has moved on to more rewarding themes as the conflict fossilizes into a war of attrition.
Putin went for regime change and transformation of Ukraine to a puppet state, but that was thwarted by a combination of unexpected Ukrainian resistance and inept Russian military planning and execution. Since then, he’s focussed on seizing the industrial Donbas region and gaining an east to west land bridge in the south.
Putin has made incremental gains in spite of heavy losses in manpower and equipment. The near-term objective now looks like the forced conversion of Ukraine to a rump state shorn of much of its industrial and agricultural potential and access to the Black Sea.
But who knows where Putin will stop. He still has the initiative.
Russia’s biggest limitation is infantry manpower. This will continue unless Putin declares war on Ukraine, which would enable mobilizing reserves and expanded conscription. As a result, Russian gains have been achieved with an overwhelming superiority of artillery. That’s why the Russian advance has been so slow and devastating. Artillery is called, “The God of War” for a reason.
Ukraine’s limitations are time, training, and lack of equipment, mostly artillery, to counter the Russian advantage. Ukraine can generate manpower, but it can’t solve its equipment problems without western aid. Western supply has consistently been too little, too late.
Ukraine needs gun and rocket artillery by the hundreds, not in packs of four, to blunt Russian gains. The continued supply of arms is entirely dependent on western resolve.
Europe has slaved itself to Russian gas, and is funding Putin’s aggression with its energy purchases. Some are ready to sacrifice Ukraine’s territory and freedom in order to ensure uninterrupted Russian energy supply.
This will become a massive political issue this winter when Putin can manipulate gas supplies to his best advantage. He’s already reduced the gas flows, which limits creation of reserves; and this has the surrender monkeys highly agitated.
Energy self-sufficiency is of inestimable value, and shouldn’t be bargained away to satisfy the goals of others or near-term political imperatives. It allows for independence and freedom of action, and can be of tremendous help to true friends and allies in troubled times.
John Thompson Kaleden