Henry Kissinger used to joke that he would present Nixon with three alternatives on foreign policy issues: global thermonuclear war, complete capitulation and the one he wanted to do. I'm feeling a lot of that vibe in much of the Ukraine analysis I'm reading.
There's a lot of we need a fig leaf for Putin so we don't have a nuclear war or we don't dare escalate because it would risk a nuclear war...or on the other hand, risking nuclear war is no biggie cause he probably won't do it and we'd probably win and that'd show 'em.
The reality is there is probably more escalation we can do without risking a nuclear war and the best off-ramp for Putin is defeating him (though it is up to Ukraine to determine what endgame they seek here...they are the ones suffering, sacrificing & at risk.)
Extreme views in either direction is probably not constructive. Further, as I read these articles, there does seem to be a strong impulse among editors and the punditocracy to blame Biden or the US for whatever the writer feels we're doing wrong.
The Biden Admin has taken a much (much much) stronger stance with Putin than any administration since he took office. They have led a much more effective allied response than we have ever seen in response to Putin's past violations of international law.
Could they have been more bold? Sure. But note that they are moving in tandem with allies with different appetites for risk. And they are keeping some responses in check to use as Putin escalates. And they are doing some things you don't know about.
Foreign policy is not an exact science. (For more on this: See Vladimir Putin who has miscalculated grossly at every stage of this conflict so far. Or past US presidents who were either too timid with Putin or who actively wanted to date him.)
Overall, the US response so far gets an A. But it is early days. Perhaps the grade should really be an incomplete. But early steps are encouraging. They are not responsible for this mess. Their views on airplanes or NFZs are not responsible for this mess.
(In my view we should have found a way to get the airplanes to Ukraine. As well as much more military aid sooner. As for a Western enforced NFZ...probably a bad idea and certainly not the cure-all some suggest.)
But please: there is only one person responsible for this war--Vladimir Putin. There is no grey area. He is a war criminal. There is no justification for what he is doing or for supporting it or for being neutral about this catastrophe.
There are only one set of heroes here--the people of Ukraine. There are only one set of victims here--the people of Ukraine. Our thoughts should be first with them and then with the international system they are defending. They are fighting our fight for us.
Putin will escalate. We will have to respond. There will be risks involved. We can mitigate those while sending an unmistakable signal to Putin that he cannot win this war and that he will be held accountable for his depredations.
Let's try to maintain balance and reason and clarity about the facts of this case. It will not only lead to better outcomes (all of which will be imperfect and carry profound costs) but also better public discourse about this issue.
p.s. Quoting Kissinger does not mean an endorsement of Kissinger or policies he promoted or pursued.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
