Ukraine not Losing the War vs. Russia Compared with Winning It

Yes, the White House is supporting Ukraine with lethal weapons and humanitarian dollars so Kyiv can wage a modern defensive war against its age-old enemy, Russia, which invaded it and triggered the first full-blown war in Europe in a generation. The images of leveled cities once filled with life and dead civilians are emotionally unbearable.

And President Biden even utters supportive sentiments about Ukraine and the future of the free world much to the chagrin of his advisers. But the sympathetic words are no compensation for the latest lethal weapons and iron dome systems that Ukraine is not entitled to.

However, is the United States genuinely in favor of Ukraine’s unequivocal victory over Russian invaders or is it hoping for a conclusion that is based on a negotiated settlement with its ersatz peace. This course would not benefit anyone, most of all Ukrainians who are again earnestly fighting for their existence against the same invader.

Ukraine’s military and civilian skills and determination to win against Russia have shocked all observers. To be honest, Ukraine’s loss today would be mourned by the free world and NATO in articles and books for years to come. Leading up to Russia’s fateful crossing of Ukraine’s border and for the first couple of days of the escalated Russo-Ukraine War of 2014-22, Washington was ready to silently accept Ukraine’s defeat because all of its expectations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces ineptitude were being fulfilled. As history has shown, the White House was even willing to receive Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s self-exile. And then came Zelenskyy’s dramatic declaration that he doesn’t want a lift, he wants arms so his country can win the war that Russia started against Ukraine.

The White House then realized that its strategic partner is not like the others have been. Ukraine, Ukrainians and its leadership are not hiding behind America’s apron, letting it do its fighting, which, sadly, it hasn’t and it won’t. Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the people decided to fight with more passion and resolve to expel Russia from its country than have been seen in other nations.

Retired Gen. Jack Keane wondered on Fox News why the United States isn’t doing more to support Ukraine than parsing words about its plans, which are then watered down by a White House official.

“The mission is really to help the Ukrainians defeat the Russians and drive them out of the country. And there really is an opportunity to do that,” Keane opined. “And the Biden Administration for some reason doesn’t even want to use the words ‘We want the Ukrainians to win against the Russians.’”

Clips of the White House assistant press secretary tripping over her words about a Ukrainian victory was proof of this noncommittal posture.

Keane believes it is clear Biden does not want Putin to lose Russia’s war against Ukraine and its civilians, in fear of the Russian butcher becoming even more enraged and taking drastic action that directly affects NATO or the United States or even lashing out against the former captive nations.

“They don’t want him to lose. And they want a deal. And it’s such a lost opportunity,” Keane said, adding that he has seen pressure from the US toward Zelenskyy to cut a deal with Putin, even after the ground-war tide began turning in Kyiv’s favor. Truthfully, no negotiated deal would benefit Ukraine. Moscow has previously demonstrated its deceit in abiding with bilateral or multilateral accords.

“Where is the passion arising out of you watching thousands of people being killed and literally murdered by this barbarism that’s on display by the Russian army? Let’s go out there and destroy that barbarism once and for all,” Keane said. “And Zelenskyy has the will to do it.”

And his troops have got the skill and the aid Zelenskyy is demanding will give him the means to do it and also give them the moral support.

Sounds like a repeat of the Allies’ refusal to grant General Patton permission to take Prague ahead of the Soviet army at the end of World War 2.

Keane is convinced that President Biden and his national security team have really been more interested, from the beginning of this war, in simply ending it as opposed to Ukraine’s winning it.

Ironically, Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s Armed Forces have provided NATO and Europe an opportunity to crush the Russian Army, Keane observed, “And it’s the best deterrence we could possibly have against the Russian Army conducting an attack against NATO.”

Keane said, and there are others who agree with him, that Ukraine will earn a better political solution based on how much damage is done to Putin and his ability to launch his next invasion against Lithuania, Latvia or Poland based on what Ukrainians are doing to him and his invasion of Ukraine.

Choosing this immoral quick alternative to victory will only cause more damage to Ukraine and Ukrainians and severely tarnish the impeccable image that the Ukrainian President now possesses.

As the late Sen. Barry Goldwater asked rhetorically in an earlier generation, “Why not victory?”