Monday, March 14, 2022

Putin’s Nukes

 

Putin’s Nukes

 Consider for a moment what is happening in Ukraine, a European country that is an overnight flight from Middle America, probably with a change at Frankfurt, Germany.  How do I know? – Because in 2017, I flew from DFW to Vilnius, Lithuania, change at Frankfurt, just up the geographic line from Ukraine.

 Russia did not invade some poor, weak, backwater Asian or African country.  Russia invaded a fully evolved, civilized, European country, using all of the modern Russian weapons of war with the exception of nuclear weapons, and Putin has threatened the use of nukes too make poor, old Joe Biden quake in his boots and withhold weapons that Ukraine needs.

 Since Putin’s forces got bogged down and halted quickly by the Ukrainians, it is evident that Putin miscalculated his attack.  Putin’s three or four-pronged attack was apparently aimed at a “blitzkrieg” style, rapid conquest of the mostly flat country once known as the “breadbasket” of Russia, and now, of Europe.

 The Ukrainians, whose heritage includes ancient Scythians, then Mongols, and more recently, Cossacks, had other ideas.  Led by their charismatic young president Zelenskyy, they stopped the Russian advance, and made the Russians pay in blood and treasure for their invasion.  The Russian military is too massive for the Ukrainians to drive the Russians out of their country on their own, but it seems after 20 days of fighting that the Ukrainians are not giving up, and may not lose their country if the west provides enough help of the right kind.

 Where is NATO?  Where is the UN?  Where is the World Court?  When a nuclear-armed ex “superpower” can invade a smaller adjacent country, and face only talk, talk, talk, and “sanctions”.  It would seem that a quick NATO and/or UN presence is necessary in Ukraine to address the humanitarian crisis that Putin is causing.  Putin’s nukes should be faced down or met, if that’s the last resort.  This ridiculous dancing to the blackmail tune of Putin’s nukes has to stop, and the bully in Moscow has to be contained.

 Ray Gruszecki
March 15, 2022

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