Having France and Germany disagree may not be the worst thing to happen. France was at the receving end of both world wars and seems to have taken the right lesson from that. Germany will eventually get on board.
I had worried that Macron had gone soft. However, I am now energised that Europeans are gathering as a team, finally, to stand up to the most dangerous and ruthless dictator in the past 79 years. Putin is the dark tetrad. There is no more serious threat to world peace at this moment. His tentacles are everywhere. Everywhere.
FINALLY the leaders of Europe have awoken to reality - I hope they move fast and hard and spin the threat back to Putin. I'm finally able to breath with less stress - Europe looks like it's finally aware of the danger. Both Putin and tRUMP are enemies #1.
Just two very minor up-dates to your otherwise very accurate and excellent article, Diane: (1) according to General Pavel the ammo will start arriving closer to June/July; but (2) the very recent additional American allocation of $300 million will (hopefully) close at least part of that gap between now and then.
You implicitly raise a much bigger question. What should Ukraine do to prepare for a post-American era (if Trump wins the election) when America will no longer be the "lead" country for European security? Two European countries- UK and France - have nukes (de Gaulle was right after all), and don't need the additional cost of ICBMs to deliver (or deter) the nukes to Russia. But, part of a NATO build-up should include nuclear bombs and missiles - both tactical and strategic. Germany will likely want their nukes as well because they won't want to play second fiddle to either country. And the more power to them all.
Ukraine, for its part, if it can't afford to develop its own (though it has the technical expertise to do so) should - at the least - purchase a few "suitcases" from whomever has them as a deterrence of last resort. When survival is at stake, it's "damn the torpedoes - full speed ahead" time, and leverage Moscow and St. Petersburg to stop the Russians in their tracks.
Also, as a minimum, now that Ukraine has enacted a "Territorial Defense" law (only a month or two before February 2022, Ukraine has not had the chance to do very much along the lines outlined in the law. Now is the time to build up the capability foreseen in that law......a "porcupine" nation so unpalatable to its predators that it would not be worth the cost in lives and resources to occupy it.
Duda has the right approach. And Macron. Very much doubt Trump will return but his hold on GOP is still there re Ukraine and support for brutal dictator. USA in a political vacuum as its constitution deeply flawed. So yes NATO must respond to Putin led by France as Putin like Hitler wants to go to war against more ex Russian nations
I was so glad to see Macron step up and take the initiative, as well as painly declare our objective - that Ukraine must win and Putin needs to be defeated. It's time someone showed real leadership and made Putin think twice. All this time the West has been telling him what we are afraid of (nuclear war) so that's exactly what Putin threatens us with.
As much as I'm both frustrated and furious that we in the US have not passed that aid bill (thanks to pro-Putin Trump and Speaker J ) it finally made Europe realize that Putin's influence in the GOP may render the US incapable of being relied upon for Europe's defense. Europe should stand strong and united as allies against Putin's New World Order.
( Of course I am hoping that Trumpism is defeated in the US, and we return to help Ukraine win the war, which is in our National interests as well as the RIGHT THING to DO. )
Finally, wonderful news that EU countries (let's hope the UK) are preparing to challenge Putin on the ground. The UN and the courts are slow and ineffective.
Why should the USA contribute more than all other countries combined to a war that doesn't affect them? I agree, time for Europe to pay for their own battles.
If Russia invades a NATO country then that will affect us all. But until then, let him squander/weaken himself.
Trump is literally an existential threat to the world. Macron is showing leadership and it is encouraging .
Fish or cut bait. The threat is too obvious. Before sending in ground forces when will the West get planes in and control the skies?
This would change what happens on the ground. Cease the endless posturing.
Having France and Germany disagree may not be the worst thing to happen. France was at the receving end of both world wars and seems to have taken the right lesson from that. Germany will eventually get on board.
I had worried that Macron had gone soft. However, I am now energised that Europeans are gathering as a team, finally, to stand up to the most dangerous and ruthless dictator in the past 79 years. Putin is the dark tetrad. There is no more serious threat to world peace at this moment. His tentacles are everywhere. Everywhere.
FINALLY the leaders of Europe have awoken to reality - I hope they move fast and hard and spin the threat back to Putin. I'm finally able to breath with less stress - Europe looks like it's finally aware of the danger. Both Putin and tRUMP are enemies #1.
Lets hope that some good old fashioned rivalry between Germany and France will speed up getting those promised F-35 planes into the Ukrainian skies.
Just two very minor up-dates to your otherwise very accurate and excellent article, Diane: (1) according to General Pavel the ammo will start arriving closer to June/July; but (2) the very recent additional American allocation of $300 million will (hopefully) close at least part of that gap between now and then.
You implicitly raise a much bigger question. What should Ukraine do to prepare for a post-American era (if Trump wins the election) when America will no longer be the "lead" country for European security? Two European countries- UK and France - have nukes (de Gaulle was right after all), and don't need the additional cost of ICBMs to deliver (or deter) the nukes to Russia. But, part of a NATO build-up should include nuclear bombs and missiles - both tactical and strategic. Germany will likely want their nukes as well because they won't want to play second fiddle to either country. And the more power to them all.
Ukraine, for its part, if it can't afford to develop its own (though it has the technical expertise to do so) should - at the least - purchase a few "suitcases" from whomever has them as a deterrence of last resort. When survival is at stake, it's "damn the torpedoes - full speed ahead" time, and leverage Moscow and St. Petersburg to stop the Russians in their tracks.
Also, as a minimum, now that Ukraine has enacted a "Territorial Defense" law (only a month or two before February 2022, Ukraine has not had the chance to do very much along the lines outlined in the law. Now is the time to build up the capability foreseen in that law......a "porcupine" nation so unpalatable to its predators that it would not be worth the cost in lives and resources to occupy it.
Duda has the right approach. And Macron. Very much doubt Trump will return but his hold on GOP is still there re Ukraine and support for brutal dictator. USA in a political vacuum as its constitution deeply flawed. So yes NATO must respond to Putin led by France as Putin like Hitler wants to go to war against more ex Russian nations
How long would the war last if the full force of NATO marched into the Ukraine?
I was so glad to see Macron step up and take the initiative, as well as painly declare our objective - that Ukraine must win and Putin needs to be defeated. It's time someone showed real leadership and made Putin think twice. All this time the West has been telling him what we are afraid of (nuclear war) so that's exactly what Putin threatens us with.
As much as I'm both frustrated and furious that we in the US have not passed that aid bill (thanks to pro-Putin Trump and Speaker J ) it finally made Europe realize that Putin's influence in the GOP may render the US incapable of being relied upon for Europe's defense. Europe should stand strong and united as allies against Putin's New World Order.
( Of course I am hoping that Trumpism is defeated in the US, and we return to help Ukraine win the war, which is in our National interests as well as the RIGHT THING to DO. )
Europe, sadly, learned a lot of lessons from WWII and refuse, thankfully, to repeat them.
Another excellent report Diane. Thank you.
Finally, wonderful news that EU countries (let's hope the UK) are preparing to challenge Putin on the ground. The UN and the courts are slow and ineffective.
Why should the USA contribute more than all other countries combined to a war that doesn't affect them? I agree, time for Europe to pay for their own battles.
If Russia invades a NATO country then that will affect us all. But until then, let him squander/weaken himself.