Here is another instance in which your remarkable grasp of strategic warfare and modern weapons systems really shines. I hope the people at the top are paying attention, Shankar.
All true, but here we are. We have to encourage Europe to step up support for Ukraine, especially now that the ground war in the Donbass is not looking good. Whatever anyone can convince the US to provide will be "gravy". I don't expect much.
Indeed this would have shifted the balance but what about nuclear retaliation? What about crossing Putin’s red lines? That is so self-defeating. Shift the burden to Putin…make him think about crossing the red line and then make the threat credible through delivery of weapons.
It is so infuriating to think about Sullivan as a modern day Chamberlain appeaser. Europe should ask for it all and pay for it. Then have the US defense industrial complex turn on the GOP if this is refused! And make it an economic argument about balance of trade as well to paint Orange Caligula into a corner.
The risk of Russia going nuclear is nil. China and India have both told Putin in no uncertain words that this a line he dare not cross. And, the one thing that will bring the EU into the fight fully is a nuke. The immediate response would almost certainly be tit-for-tat by France.
Europe needs to fund/buy these weapons and get the US to deliver them now. The only thing Trump appreciates is a sale in the billions. That ought to be enough to get them delivered.
Israel faces the same dilemma as Ukraine, absent the land mass and 44 million population. The unpredictability of US support, with Qatari money flooding Universities, poisoning Kuffir minds is moving the needle in a big way for Islamist support. The majority of Democrat senators voted to censure Israel based on Hamas propaganda. Europe has a similar problem, allowing millions of Islamists who are dedicated to destruction of Western ideas of rights to move there.
Thank you Shankar for your clear assessments and integrating strategies, while keeping clarity of the horizon.
The Cultures of Ukraine, Russia, those of the EU countries, and the United States are worth the fight and investments. We do not need Vladimir Putin to dictate what is best for any of these cultures- he is an outlier hanging onto the failed vision of a Soviet Empire.
Close the door on Putin and what he stands for; we will save those Cultures and can build a broader Peace for our future.
What you wrote is interesting, but I can’t help noticing a few flaws.
1. Even assuming there are 100 F-16s ready to be delivered, are there really 300–350 fully trained Ukrainian pilots capable of flying them?
2. Do you think Russia would just sit back and watch if 1,000 Tomahawk missiles were sent over?
3. The European Union doesn’t truly exist — and I say that as an Italian. We’re nothing more than American puppets, doing whatever they tell us to do. I live in a city that hosts three NATO/US installations. All three are within a 20-minute drive from my home. Do you honestly believe Europe has the ability to make its own foreign policy decisions? That’s nothing more than an illusion.
4. Ukrainians have always been nothing more than the Americans’ sacrificial lambs. The truth is, nobody actually cares about them. The US has used them for its own purposes — and by extension, for ours. This was never truly a war of territorial conquest; the Donbas is not something Russia genuinely cares about. The causes of this war run much deeper, and ironically, Ukrainians are not even in a position to change the outcome.
5. Your analysis is solid, and it would be wonderful if it reflected reality — but unless it serves American interests, it will never happen. At least not today. Maybe in the future, but today, no.
There's not much I can add to this, Shankar, except perhaps that three years ago, both America's and Europe's national economies were in better shape (less debt, more robust incomes). Now, the US, Germany, France and Britain are each dealing with wobbly finances thanks to many things, not the least of which is Trump's TACO Tuesday tariff tussle. All that you suggest would appear so much harder now - even if Europe does find its spine.
Maybe it would help to remind yourself, that 3 years ago it was a previous administration involved. Now, when current administration is involved, things definitely changed.
That is a very equivocal comment!!! Is the Ukraine more confident in support from the USA now or is Putin more confident that the USA will side with him?
Sorry, I thought you were replying directly to Shankar, not to an intermediate post. On seccond read, your comment is perfectly clear. Please forgive the error.
Here is another instance in which your remarkable grasp of strategic warfare and modern weapons systems really shines. I hope the people at the top are paying attention, Shankar.
Yes!
This is true. American "care" kept Ukraine from winning the war two years ago.
“ Decision to withhold”…. Exactly! I did not understand it then and I do not understand it now!
Generally speaking, if the Mighty USA hadn’t deliberately **** the bed in 2022, we would be devoting our time to completely different subjects.
Yep
👏👊
All true, but here we are. We have to encourage Europe to step up support for Ukraine, especially now that the ground war in the Donbass is not looking good. Whatever anyone can convince the US to provide will be "gravy". I don't expect much.
Indeed this would have shifted the balance but what about nuclear retaliation? What about crossing Putin’s red lines? That is so self-defeating. Shift the burden to Putin…make him think about crossing the red line and then make the threat credible through delivery of weapons.
It is so infuriating to think about Sullivan as a modern day Chamberlain appeaser. Europe should ask for it all and pay for it. Then have the US defense industrial complex turn on the GOP if this is refused! And make it an economic argument about balance of trade as well to paint Orange Caligula into a corner.
The risk of Russia going nuclear is nil. China and India have both told Putin in no uncertain words that this a line he dare not cross. And, the one thing that will bring the EU into the fight fully is a nuke. The immediate response would almost certainly be tit-for-tat by France.
Nukes are only good for saber rattling.
100%
Europe needs to fund/buy these weapons and get the US to deliver them now. The only thing Trump appreciates is a sale in the billions. That ought to be enough to get them delivered.
Give Trump cash under the table, and the goods will flow the next day.
Damn cheap. Why hasn’t Europe and Ukraine do as you suggested? Folly. We could have saved months of this war and thousands of lives.
Israel faces the same dilemma as Ukraine, absent the land mass and 44 million population. The unpredictability of US support, with Qatari money flooding Universities, poisoning Kuffir minds is moving the needle in a big way for Islamist support. The majority of Democrat senators voted to censure Israel based on Hamas propaganda. Europe has a similar problem, allowing millions of Islamists who are dedicated to destruction of Western ideas of rights to move there.
Moscow needs to be destroyed in its entirety period
Thank you Shankar for your clear assessments and integrating strategies, while keeping clarity of the horizon.
The Cultures of Ukraine, Russia, those of the EU countries, and the United States are worth the fight and investments. We do not need Vladimir Putin to dictate what is best for any of these cultures- he is an outlier hanging onto the failed vision of a Soviet Empire.
Close the door on Putin and what he stands for; we will save those Cultures and can build a broader Peace for our future.
What you wrote is interesting, but I can’t help noticing a few flaws.
1. Even assuming there are 100 F-16s ready to be delivered, are there really 300–350 fully trained Ukrainian pilots capable of flying them?
2. Do you think Russia would just sit back and watch if 1,000 Tomahawk missiles were sent over?
3. The European Union doesn’t truly exist — and I say that as an Italian. We’re nothing more than American puppets, doing whatever they tell us to do. I live in a city that hosts three NATO/US installations. All three are within a 20-minute drive from my home. Do you honestly believe Europe has the ability to make its own foreign policy decisions? That’s nothing more than an illusion.
4. Ukrainians have always been nothing more than the Americans’ sacrificial lambs. The truth is, nobody actually cares about them. The US has used them for its own purposes — and by extension, for ours. This was never truly a war of territorial conquest; the Donbas is not something Russia genuinely cares about. The causes of this war run much deeper, and ironically, Ukrainians are not even in a position to change the outcome.
5. Your analysis is solid, and it would be wonderful if it reflected reality — but unless it serves American interests, it will never happen. At least not today. Maybe in the future, but today, no.
There's not much I can add to this, Shankar, except perhaps that three years ago, both America's and Europe's national economies were in better shape (less debt, more robust incomes). Now, the US, Germany, France and Britain are each dealing with wobbly finances thanks to many things, not the least of which is Trump's TACO Tuesday tariff tussle. All that you suggest would appear so much harder now - even if Europe does find its spine.
Maybe it would help to remind yourself, that 3 years ago it was a previous administration involved. Now, when current administration is involved, things definitely changed.
That is a very equivocal comment!!! Is the Ukraine more confident in support from the USA now or is Putin more confident that the USA will side with him?
Ask Ukraine, don’t ask me.
Please explicate.
I do not want to explicate, that is Shankar’s job. I will just say “ pillows and sheets “.
Sorry, I thought you were replying directly to Shankar, not to an intermediate post. On seccond read, your comment is perfectly clear. Please forgive the error.