Ross, thanks for being a steady voice for diplomacy. We are six months into this war and both sides remain deadlocked. Billions have been tossed into the wind and thousands have died. This winter will be a grim reminder that the failure to exercise diplomacy in Ukraine will cause all of Europe to turn out their pockets just to stay warm. The callous short-sightedness of this folly boggles the mind.
So how much of Ukraine would you give Putin in return for lower natural gas prices? There’s no guarantee he turns the pumps back on if he is rewarded for his genocidal aggression. I’d rather give Ukraine fighter jets than Putin an inch of territory.
I feel bad for the Ukrainians, just like I feel bad for the Uighurs, and for plenty of other oppressed peoples. But just like the US should not go to war over the Uighurs, the US should not have gone to war over the Ukrainians. It's too bad, so sad, but ultimately not our problem. Ukraine, for very good reasons, is not part of NATO or the EU. We owe them nothing.
In terms of US interest, a retreat to isolationism, while surely appealing is not practical in a highly interconnected world. Allowing Putin's Russia to seize yet more energy-rich territory is foolish in the long term and only sets up further conflict.
"It’s an acknowledgment, in some sense, that Putin has been rewarded for his vile belligerence."
That is how they look at it, but that is a wrong view. A reward is something given. What Putin has is what he will have taken. And the West is not the arbiter of all things.
Great timing with this piece Ross.
Ross, thanks for being a steady voice for diplomacy. We are six months into this war and both sides remain deadlocked. Billions have been tossed into the wind and thousands have died. This winter will be a grim reminder that the failure to exercise diplomacy in Ukraine will cause all of Europe to turn out their pockets just to stay warm. The callous short-sightedness of this folly boggles the mind.
So how much of Ukraine would you give Putin in return for lower natural gas prices? There’s no guarantee he turns the pumps back on if he is rewarded for his genocidal aggression. I’d rather give Ukraine fighter jets than Putin an inch of territory.
All of it.
I feel bad for the Ukrainians, just like I feel bad for the Uighurs, and for plenty of other oppressed peoples. But just like the US should not go to war over the Uighurs, the US should not have gone to war over the Ukrainians. It's too bad, so sad, but ultimately not our problem. Ukraine, for very good reasons, is not part of NATO or the EU. We owe them nothing.
Woof. Okay. There’s nothing really to say here. Have a good day.
In terms of US interest, a retreat to isolationism, while surely appealing is not practical in a highly interconnected world. Allowing Putin's Russia to seize yet more energy-rich territory is foolish in the long term and only sets up further conflict.
A peace deal is only workable in one of two cases:
1. One or more sides are exhausted militarily or in will to continue fighting.
2. All sides can be trusted to uphold said peace deal.
Neither of these conditions have been met.
"It’s an acknowledgment, in some sense, that Putin has been rewarded for his vile belligerence."
That is how they look at it, but that is a wrong view. A reward is something given. What Putin has is what he will have taken. And the West is not the arbiter of all things.
And why should he allowed to take it?
"Allowed" by whom? Not germane to my point, in any case.