Ukraine is unlikely to be news in a year, except for terms of an overdue peace. Why? Five factors.
First, President Zelinsky is pushing his luck with the US. He keeps asking the US for more money. Biden-Harris keeps giving it. Americans are sick of the rhetoric, being told Europe will fall to the staggering, broke, undermanned, poorly-led Russian army. They are sick … of other things.
Americans, who love freedom, also understand geopolitical realities – and the cost of groceries, gas, and energy. They know Biden-Harris fecklessly started, then mindlessly bankrolled this war, spent 75 billion hard-earned American dollars, as the average European country gave 3.2 billion.
They know when they are being gamed, used by Ukraine, by the Democrats who got a distraction, and even by some NATO allies who lean on US force structure but never pay up. In short, even generous, freedom-loving Americans are asking – how long, at what more cost, to what end?
Second, Zelinsky is losing his grip on reality, on the possible, on what can emerge from a seemingly endless conflict. He keeps announcing victory means pushing Russia back to 1991 borders, complete retreat after the blood and treasure expended, submitting Putin to international criminal prosecution, and Russia compensating – or just more US money – to rebuild Ukraine.
Again, there are limits. Cheap talk about a victory that will never look like that undermines Zelensky’s cause, and reinforces Russia’s resolve – Putin’s and people told they must pay Ukraine.
Third, faith in Ukraine as an honest, above-board, cohesive national government is coming under fire. The country is endemically corrupt and was back in the days when the Biden family was soaking them for millions in exchange for political favors.
Ukraine’s reputation for political corruption is a legend if seldom discussed. They make Mexico, Somalia, and smaller bastions look well-healed. Even apologists for Ukraine’s public corruption, procurement to tax fraud, quietly wonder where hard-earned US tax dollars have really gone.
Fourth, objectively Ukraine is losing the war, and the balance – now tipping hard against them – is unlikely to return, let alone favor Ukraine. The reasons are many. They are being recognized by fans, those who want Ukraine to eventually join NATO, presently a provocative and destabilizing idea.
Even as Russia talks nukes and Ukraine talks long-range missiles, the map is shifting and nothing in the strategic depth of Russia, now allied with China and Iran, suggests that Ukraine could outdistance Russia in men, arms, or staying power. While Russia is hurting, Ukraine is far worse off.
Fifth, the Ukraine conflict is gradually running down critical US inventory of certain strategic weapons, including HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems), JAVELIN missiles (anti-tank weapons), and other categories that matter, not only for a conflict in Europe but everywhere.
The notion that US readiness, and preparedness for war in the Middle East, Far East, globally, and even at home could be compromised by further stretching weapons inventories and production is sobering and should be leading US military and political leadership to pull back on the reigns.
Notably, the impact of public reports that hardware and ammunition are starting to run short not only affects real warfighting in other AORs (Areas of Responsibility) but erodes deterrence, making other wars more likely. Bluntly, the current operational tempo cannot continue.
All of this vectors to a conclusion, one the next administration will have to address head-on: Extending the Ukraine war indefinitely, even trying to elongate it for attritional value over the next year or two, is a dead-end street. The sooner a negotiated peace is found, the better for all.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.
Where is Europe in all of this? Ukraine isn’t even in NATO-yet, why aren’t the other NATO countries stepping up? Why have we given trillions to Ukraine (600 billion at a time sometimes), who I believe has one of the MOST corrupt governments in the world (Ask Hunter Biden-he should know). Do we even get an accounting? And I’m sure they won’t be returning our military assets when and if this ends. This needs to END.
Ukraine serves as a diversion from the ongoing invasion from Mexico
Wow! An actual honest, no BS current assessment of the realities of the Ukraine – Russian war with minimal political spin. Good for you RBC for having the courage to lay out the hard realities of the situation as it stands today after years of complete mismanagement by the United States to deter this action in the first place.
Once the Biden administration first encouraged and then stood aside as Putin saw his opportunity and telegraphed his intentions well in advance to annex all of part of Ukraine, without any great pushback or plan from the United States or our NATO allies to counter it, it wasn’t hard to see how this would ultimately play out. Now of course it will be left to President Trump, should he be elected next month, to clean up this Biden-Harris mess, since the Biden administration has demonstrated multiple times over the last 4 years that they can’t solve anything in an intelligent manner. All they know how to do is to appease, appease and then appease some more, as they shovel billions upon billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars, which we’ll never get back from any of the parties involved, all over the place.
This article goes a long way toward helping to understand the Ukraine – Russia war and the United States involvement. It is important for Americans to have some understanding of foreign wars – primarily to aid in the defense of this Country should things take unexpected turns ,as with the 1930’s and 1940’s and the actions of Germany and Japan that came close to being successful in taking over the world and eliminating freedom in the process. Priority should be given to threats that are already having an impact on security here, the increase in crime is serious stuff, it doesn’t get any more serious actually and people are going to defend themselves one way or another in confrontations with the criminal element . And that is the intelligent, normal , right thing to do. Defense of the rights of American citizens first, then helping other countries defend their freedom ,is the sensible, moral approach to the matter. Allies did what was needed to help each other in the second world war ,so there is much to be learned from those experiences . Important article RBC.
All the $$$Billions of US tax dollars sent to Ukraine (with no accountability) has in large part been the catalyst for the US high cost of necessary goods – food, gas, rent or mortgage payments, utilities, and everything else. No more $$$ for Zelensky. Or Free handouts to illegals who broke our law to enter the country.
Biden is all but gone, so let’s get rid of all of the things that the Biden administration did that made it necessary for the Progressive controlled Democrat Party to have to get rid of Biden.
Biden owed Ukraine for personal financial gain Ukraine provided Joe Biden when he was VP. Progressive Democrats owe Ukraine for putting dozens of biolabs in Ukraine that are not allowed to conduct the biological weaponry development in the U.S.
We had no issues with Russia until President Trump was removed from office. We need to get back to having no new wars due to weaknesses in the U.S.
Good points made in this article. As Mr. Charles indicates, there could be some oddball dynamics at work with all the treasure we’re giving up for Ukraine’s sake. It seems highly possible that Ukraine could be blackmailing Biden for our weapons, given the payoffs that Biden (and his family members) have received from Ukraine in recent years. With Biden, it’s hard to imagine the full depth of financial criminality that could still be going on there.
“Let there be Depravity …. and Child Presidents….”
No surprise this never-ending Biden war and our funding of Ukraine never came up in the VP debate anymore then Walz’s Iraq War stolen valor… although I was surprised his HK lie did although the moderator left it “floating” to allow him to artfully wriggle out… which he didn’t. It’s off topic but we have this and all our problems because we have no press! Except when a Republican is involved anyways… they’re not journalists, they’re Democrat political activists.
“Charity Begins At Home”, And right now, America itself needs as much “charity” that it can get from our own Government!
My first thought was what percentage of a kickback floated off of that 75 BILLION…AND how much good that could have brought to American families who are struggling to make ends meet under Biden’s misguided policies! Add to that the insult of an Open Southern Border & the influx of untold numbers of Illegals. Who gets to support them? The American taxpayer that’s who! We support the whole world, even when we can barely support our Families!! I’m tired of it! This would not have happened if Donald Trump was now in the White House, as he should be.
“Weak, staggering,broke, undermanned and poorly led Russian military”? Seriously? If that is true then please explain how such a military has taken on and handily defeated the entire collective efforts of the collective west. US and western European nations munitions stockpiles have been drained. Americas overpriced and overcomplicated military hardware has been shown to be little more than flammable targets for Russian artillery and air power. I recall a scene where an aged Russian T72 tank, often relegated to field artillery use managed to go one on three with overhyped German tanks that had been said to be “game changers”. The result? Three German tanks ablaze and one T72 tank crew headed back to its earlier established field artillery emplacement. How about those awesome Abrams tanks the US Army is/was so proud of? Currently something like 90% have been burned on the fields of Ukraine with many of the rest cannibalized for spare parts the overcomplicated, overpriced and underperforming boondoggle needs when put into real combat against a peer or near peer opponent. The Russian Army are not illiterate sandal wearing Afghanis, their current armed forces are the preeminent military on the face of the earth and their hardware is also the best on the planet.
The author of this piece is correct on one matter, that being that the US needs to get out of this conflict it started back in 2014 when our “awesome” State Department funded and organized a coup against the Democratically elected President of Ukraine and installed a puppet so as to help in “regime changing” Russia. How did that work out? Western Europe broke and about to freeze. The US about to default on its unbelievably huge debt with its social system in complete collapse and its working class as broke as the nation they pay high taxes to.
I guess the author of this piece was ordered to scribble this article or the man is…….mentally challenged.
The only reason this war is still going on is because of Biden and the Democrats money laundering through our military industrial complex. Ukraine was offered peace agreements several times, but the arrangements were always derailed by the Biden Administration and their supposed hatred of Russia. In reality, they don’t mind killing a bunch of foreigners as long as they can profit from it. But look at what is happening here in the US now. FEMA is out of funds to aid hurricane victims because they spent all of their money propping up all the illegal immigrants that Biden/Harris let into the country. The Biden/Harris DOJ is now suing states who are trying to purge the illegals from their voter rolls. They are using the illegals to steal another election. In short, American citizens are suffering while the Democrats send all of OUR taxpayer money to foreign countries to fight wars. None of this should be happening. People are dying all over the planet because of the inept leadership currently in place.
How can America trust and support Ukraine as a democratic (LOL) nation when Zelinskyy suspended elections? Where’s the democracy? Am I missing something?
When you have two people in the White House and with money that belongs to the people of this country and you have Biden and Harris who do not care how much money they give Ukraine just so they look good what is wrong with these two people, we are in debt that we may never get out of and you have people up in the White House who look the other way who are just check cashiers and what is sad they make Harris look like she is the greatest person on this earth doing nothing but good for this country just nothing but lies but what is really bad the Dems of this country want to make her president of this country and she knows nothing and big money pack people and the media are all in the lies to make her a president but will say nothing to the possible fact we may be headed to a depression then a lot of people will see then what will happen here and then it will be to late.
I don’t think Zelenskyy would like that, because skimming money into his pocket
Nevermind,
Why can’t these articles be shared to Facebook or X (twitter)?
Why are these arti
Imagine if our squandered tax money wasn’t sent to Ukraine. The American people would have something to show for it instead of a crumbling infrastructure, homelessness and inflation. At least weapon manufacturers are thriving.