We really need to convince Poland and the rest of Russia's neighbors to join the fight. The former Soviet satellite countries may not be able to stand up to Russia individually, but there is no way that Russia can defeat all of them at once. At the very least, we should encourage Poland to send in troops on a volunteer (and unofficial) basis, which is almost certainly occurring with some of their citizens anyway.
Another idea--persuade the third world countries that Russia has been selling weapons to to donate a percentage of those weapons to Ukraine in exchange for economic benefits. With the rising cost of food devastating the third world, they may decide that getting affordable food is a higher priority than having AK-47's that they don't need.
Realistically, we can’t do that if we won’t lead. At this point, we are the biggest actual obstacle to more meaningful support of Ukraine. Sure, there are other countries, such as Hungary or Greece, doing far less than we are, but they are not standing in the way of Poland, Romania et al giving over their former Soviet gear the way we are.
They're itching for it but Poland is part of NATO. Not that I disagree with you but it would involve NATO which is what people are tiptoeing around so as not to "anger" Putin. Latvia is the interesting one because Russia/someone already putting out there that there are Nazis in Latvia, and they're NATO, so Putin turns his attention there then it's Article V time & time to light the Russians up.
I hear the Germans are also dragging their feet on tanks, etc. Really sick of the US blocking planes but apparently they helped get those missile defense equipment to Ukranine by sending Patriots. But yeah being a world leader means to lead. I get the idea of letting Europe take the lead since it's in Europe but Ukranians need more offensive items - including planes.
I don’t care what other countries do, I have zero interest in sending a single us armed forces personnel to fight for Ukraine. As far as comparing Putin to hitler I disagree. Putin is a butcher and Barbarian but the Germans rolled over most of Europe in short order. They had superior equipment and their soldiers were excellent in the field. The German strategic and tactical decisions were far superior as well. In short, they were a real threat. What we have seen from the Russians is their best units getting decimated in 2 weeks by 40 year old equipment (absent javelin). Putins military might has been humiliated and shown to be virtually no threat to anymore more than 100 miles away. no. I do not see any need for us to be fighting Russians directly. Are the images horrific yes. Am I an advocate sending my neighbors 19yo marine over there. Hell no
I truly believe that if the U.S. stood up and asked all former Warsaw Pact members to donate all of their Soviet-era gear immediately on the promise of backfilling them with equivalent interoperable Western gear, then they would all fall into line in short order. Even Hungary and Bulgaria, the two dragging their feet the greatest, would be unable to say no to such an upgrade to their armed forces. As I’ve stated before, this addresses two NATO problems, one in the current crisis and the other longstanding. It’s a no-brainer. I stand by my position that we are the problem here, and I don’t have the first idea why.
Well Russia and Ukraine account for a quarter of the global wheat supply. Part of the Putin plan. He's a genius in war tactics (or he has advisors who provided strategy). Russia knew with sanctions placed on them, global wheat and especially fertilizer would create mass shortages. Considering the ongoing supply chain issues, it's making it even worse. You will see famine not seen in thousands of years. It will be, "Covid who?", when 20 times the number of deaths due to famine hit the world over the next year or 2. Some even suggested it could be 200 times the number of Covid deaths.
Germany, by the way, has a slightly different problem set than the other former Warsaw Pact nations. We can’t just say to them, “Give up your East German T-72s, and we’ll give you American M1A2s” because Germany, unlike Poland et al, makes its own tanks and they will insist on replacing those T-72s with Leopards. Well, German pride will likely not allow them to accept an offer for us to either pay for or build those Leopards for them. They will insist on doing it themselves, and that’s a slower process than Germany would want to admit publicly. Hence, in my opinion, the foot dragging. Though, I still say the answer to that is to get the other former Warsaw Pact countries to donate their gear now. German pride also won’t allow them to be only one holding on to their T-72s, MiGs, etc. They will find away to crank out those Leopards.
Who said anything about sending Marines? We're talking sending offensive weapons & using the big stick of NATO that's been there at the ready for decades. Not new. There's plenty of numbers in Europe already & a no-fly zone alone would provide the Ukranians with an edge here. As far as it's not the same? It's not the same because Ukraine didn't roll over. It's because people said no & sent equipment, guns, ammo, etc. It's because they can't escape satellites, social media & the 21st century. Would it make it better to refer to him as Hitler Jr? Sitting around & saying "not my business"? That sounds very similar to what the view was back then, too. Why should we care? Because there's a difference between border disputes and flat out atrocities. If not then pull the US out of the UN, NATO & everything else, give China the reins & say "you take over", & hide. Isolationism would be the new norm.
I know it’s difficult to wrap one’s mind around (I’m frustrated with Hungary, too), but there is a difference between pro-Putin and pro-Hungary to the exclusion of NATO/EU interests. For the moment, I believe Hungary is the second. The areas in which they appear to be “pro-Putin” (continuing, for instance, to buy Russian hydrocarbons) are in the Hungarian interest at the exclusion of NATO/EU/Ukrainian considerations. I don’t like it any more than you, but the answer, rather than shaming Hungary, may be to appeal to its interest to get them on board. If that means giving them upgraded military equipment to replace their old Soviet gear, then I can live with that. The other thing we must do is replace their need for Russian hydrocarbons, and we absolutely have the ability (though, not the will, for reasons that make no real-world sense).
send all the Weapons you want. Let other counties send all the weapons they want. Hard pass on no fly zone enforced with US pilots and support. Put me on team no thanks to sending a single U.S. soldier sailor marine airmen to their violent death for Ukraine. Putin is no threat to anyone more than a tank of gas away from Russian border. Germans. French. Poles….any or all of them can do their own no fly zone. Don’t understand why people are so eager to send other people to their deaths to feel better about themselves. There is ZERO threat to US in this conflict
Soaring food and fuel prices are destabilizing countries on the brink - CNN The war in Ukraine is threatening to destabilize a lot of less affluent countries that cannot afford their daily bread. At least one of them (Pakistan) has nuclear weapons. Not that nukes would help them get food necessarily, but a destabilized Pakistan could lead to a crazy-dangerous leader taking over there. Remember, it was food and water shortages that started the Arab Spring, which led to the savage fighting in Syria as well as the rise of ISIL, the terrorist group.
I'm leaning towards your POV. The US needs to do more. Quit judging what they "need". They're telling you what they need. How much of an arsenal does the US have?
