Ukraine needs America’s help

Washington Post ^ | January 29 at 8:12 PM | Steven Pifer and Strobe Talbott

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

"Eight former U.S. national security practitioners — the two of us, plus former U.S. representative to NATO Ivo Daalder, former undersecretary of defense Michèle Flournoy, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, former deputy undersecretary of defense Jan Lodal, former NATO European commander James Stavridis and former U.S. European Command deputy commander Charles Wald — come together issuing following recommendations for immediate action. (releasing Monday report: “Preserving Ukraine’s Independence, Resisting Russian Aggression: What the United States and NATO Must Do.”)

First, White House and Congress must commit serious money to Ukraine’s defense: $1 billion in military assistance this fiscal year, followed by additional $1 billion each in fiscal year 2016 and 2017. Congress should not only authorize assistance, as it did in the Ukraine Freedom Support Act last year, but also appropriate funds.

Second, U.S. government should alter its policy and begin providing lethal assistance to Ukraine. Most of the above funds would go to nonlethal assistance. For example, the Ukrainian army desperately needs counter-battery radars to pinpoint the source of enemy rocket and artillery fire, which cause about 70 percent of Ukrainian casualties.

But the Ukrainians also need some defensive arms, particularly light anti-armor weapons. The antitank missiles in the Ukrainian inventory are more than 20 years old, and a large proportion of them do not work. U.S. anti-armor weapons could fill a crucial gap.

Third, the U.S. government should approach other NATO member states about assisting Ukraine, particularly those countries that operate former Soviet equipment and weapons systems compatible with Ukraine’s hardware. If the United States moves to provide lethal assistance, we believe that some other NATO countries will do so as well.

Time is urgent. Spring arrives in three months in eastern Ukraine, and fighting could then achieve new intensity. We should help the Ukrainians deter that."

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

This war is because a minority of Ukies want to align themselves with the E.U. and have the latte-drinking socialist life of your everyday unemployed Greek or Frenchman on the dole.

Like I told the other moron, you need to stop reading Ron Paul or Commie websites for your news. The "separatists' represent 5 or 10 percent of the population, and they're the ones with Communist flags hanging everywhere.

[Rodamala]

Good luck with your war, douchebag.

[demshateGod]

Give me a break.

[Cossak]

Ukraine was created by Lenin in 1922 of Russian Empire territories populated by several ethnicities - Russians, Little Russians, Jews, Poles, Romanians, Bulgarians, Greeks, etc. Russians were living in those regions for centuries, why they must migrate and not anybody else?

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

I have many clergy friends UMC as well as other that I connect with in Ukraine. But, I do appreciate your thoughtfulness. Thank you

[escapefromboston]

America can’t even help America.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Good luck with your war, douchebag.

Good luck spreading easily refutable Russian propaganda (outside of the Alien Astronaut and 9/11 Truther zone) and not being called a traitor or a goober.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Ukraine was created by Lenin in 1922 of Russian Empire territories populated by several ethnicities - Russians, Little Russians, Jews, Poles, Romanians, Bulgarians, Greeks, etc. Russians were living in those regions for centuries, why they must migrate and not anybody else?

The "Russians" you are referring to are the Kievan Rus, aka, the Ukrainians, who had been there since ancient times, the same group of people your country killed around 7 million of so you could put in your Muscovite gulag guards and other low-IQ psychopaths.

[mac_truck]

I mean, look at the quality of the responses from the pro-interventionists - accusing long term FReepers of wanting to have sex with Putin, or being on the Russian payroll, among other things.

Good observation...there are some relevant examples of exactly that type of thing right on this thread.

[1rudeboy]

Da, comrade. Funny to watch the Russians and their sycophants whine about it. Warmonger! WARMONGER! IMF! LOLOL

[1rudeboy]

Isn't it funny? Ukraine is attacked, and its supporters are "warmongers."

[mac_truck]

American taxpayers are concerned about the growth and power of, and financial obligation, to unelected international institutions like the IMF...the folks on your side not so much.

One need only look to recent events in Athens to see how badly things will turn out in Kiev, so why throw money down that same rat hole?

[1rudeboy]

Of course, the Russians don't want us spending any money at all. No differentiation between wasted spending and not. To them, it's just "get conservatives to reflexively react because it's spending." You might be able to play others for a sucker, but your spin is transparent to me.

[Rodamala]

I am sorry I called you a douchebag.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

I am sorry I called you a douchebag.

Not a problem! And I've been called worse, anyway.

[robowombat]

The Ukraine may need America's help but the question is does America have any interest in helping the Ukraine. I have read most of the responses here and do not find any specific mention of what US national interests are in the unfolding Russian-Ukraine conflict. Is there any major interest? Does the US have any significant interest in any state in East Europe other than Poland? If we have an interest what is it, specifically? Much of the commentary here represents slogan speak and little reflection on what level (if any) should the involvement of the US be in this dispute. I hope some posters will have something substantive to say and comments get beyond knee jerk anti-Russian or knee jerk neo -isolationist sloganeering.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

The Ukraine may need America's help but the question is does America have any interest in helping the Ukraine. I have read most of the responses here and do not find any specific mention of what US national interests are in the unfolding Russian-Ukraine conflict. Is there any major interest?

The interest is obvious: stopping expansion and further aggression from Russia. If Russia is not stopped here, he will continue invading countries-- even NATO, which they are already threatening to do, though they talk about "rebellions" that might suddenly occur "hint hint".

I'm surprised you even need to wonder what our interest is.

[Toddsterpatriot]

Russians were living in those regions for centuries, why they must migrate and not anybody else?

Because when they live in another country, Putin uses them as an excuse to invade.

[robowombat]

‘The interest is obvious: stopping expansion and further aggression from Russia. If Russia is not stopped here, he will continue invading countries’

Russia is not the Soviet Union. Containment was against communism. Containment of or attempted containment of normal great power behavior in a corner of eastern Europe has no , to me, compelling interest component for the US. If it is a problem for anyone it would be European countries. The return of the domino theory does not stir me. At most it may be of some interest to the US to provide enough material support through intermediaries to keep the Russians and Ukrainians fighting among themselves so that potential Russian-Polish conflict can be discouraged.