IMO, NATO should not intervene militarily at this time. The world has organized a wide variety of sanctions against Russia. The weakness of employing a sanctions strategy is they need time in in order to be felt. That time unfortunately is coming at the expense of Ukraine having to fight to preserve its country. While military actions offer more “immediate” results they too come at a price… the potential for a world war.
US intelligence is already warning that Russia is planning cyber attacks. Some companies have already detected “probing scans” which precede these types of attacks so this isn’t theory. IMO NATO need to hold the course and continue its strategy of supporting Ukraine with defensive weapons. As difficult as it is, NATO can’t be drawn into this fight. They can continue to ratchet up the sanctions and press the war crimes they are now publicly saying are taking place. It’s certainly not an ideal strategy but IMO it’s the best option from a list of “bad” options.
I’ve been following this one a lot. You are read on that we are all reduced to working off a list of bad options.
In a perfect world NATO should be enforcing a no fly zone at a minimal. I’m never crazy about American troops being committed to danger and taking casualties. But, again, in a perfect world NATO should have assets on the ground there pushing the Russians back.
But, it’s not a perfect world. It’s ugly and filled with danger. Danger of a war that envelops the world, being that this a just the kind of world “flash point” that can create such a disaster. Most importantly….danger of nuclear war.
I grew up under this spectre. Anyone that did remembers the relief as this prospect really started to fade in the early 90s. But now I feel it more strongly as a potential fear and outcome than I have since the 80s.
We learned after the Cold War that the narrative of the Soviet’s always looking for an opening to attack and win wasn’t true. They were honestly as petrified at the idea as the rest of the world. Surely Putin is too. But, who wants to escalate and take that chance that he’s truly the mad man he’s been showing signals as?
So, it’s ugly, but this is the course that has to be taken for now. Sanctions….I don’t have a whole lot of faith in them, especially in the short term. But, we do need to do them and send the weapons that are helping he Ukrainians hold.
One thing I’m not sure I fully agree with was deny Polands request on the planes. On the surface it feels like it’s just too hesitant. But, it could also be other factors. I believe Polands ask was for some kind of pricing break on new planes from us? And maybe the contractors don’t want to do that?
