Putin’s Blitzkrieg
Halted by Ukrainian Nation
Moscow’s latter-day führer Putin has been caught unawares as
his blitzkrieg against Ukraine gets stuck in the mud after just four days.
The Russian dictator composed a simple plan to invade
Ukraine from all sides in order to ensnare the country and people within a few
days and then drag it bleeding and screaming into a new prison of nations.
However, the pathetic tyrant grossly overestimated his
army’s might and gravely underestimated the determination and patriotism of the
Ukrainian nation. The same can be said for Ukraine’s free world allies and
supporters.
As a Ukrainian businessman in Ternopil told me the other
day, the massive heroism of the Ukrainian people will stop the Russian army in
its tracks.
That in addition to supply and logistical calamities faced
by the invading forces. According to a broadcast on Ukrainian Radio, Russian military
units across Ukraine have become lost, they lack food and water. Some enemy
marauders have stolen pigs from Ukrainian farmers in order to eat. Other units
are composed mainly of 18-year-olds who have no idea of where they are or why.
They’d rather play TikTok on their cell phones or speak with their girlfriends.
An Israeli newspaper reported that based on Russian conscription laws, Russian soldiers
can’t go into battle without their separate approval. Their mothers back home
are crying because their sons were supposed to be on training exercises. Undoubtedly,
the mobile crematoria following the troops have also scared the bejesus out of
these wannabe Russian warriors.
Some seven decades after the end of World War Two, Russia
and its leaders have been exposed for what they are: aggressive invaders, human
rights violators and war criminals among other vile epithets. Ironically, since
the end of World War Two leaders of the independence movements of the East
European nations have warned the free world about Moscow’s deceit, danger and
belligerence. They correctly foretold that the countries liberated from Nazi
captivity will ultimately become subjugated by Russia. This danger will exist
as long as Moscow exists. No one believed them despite periodic flashes of
support such as the 1959 Captive Nations Week Proclamation and admonitions to
tear down this wall.
In the wake of Russia’s seizure of Crimea and its invasion
of Donbas in 2014, Moscow continued to escalate tensions with Ukraine after it
voted in favor of acceding to NATO and the European Union.
Putin was quickly losing the grand prize that he needs for
his restored empire. Without Ukraine, many have said, Russia would be a
second-rate power.
Leading up the invasion, the free world was openly warning
President Zelenskyy that Ukraine is in real danger of being invaded by Russia.
Local Ukrainian patriots even echoed their concerns.
The United States, European countries, the former captive nations
came to Ukraine’s defense and help with money, humanitarian aid and all sorts
of military equipment. To be sure, despite Ukrainians’ criticism, this
assistance added a needed blanket that helped Ukrainians plan and prepare their
next move.
Ultimately, the United States, Europe, significantly Italy
and Germany succumbed to the overtures calling for Russia to be excluded from
the SWIFT banking system. Some argued that this punishment like sanctions won’t
matter. Perhaps Putin can withstand the pain. But not all Russians share his
boldness.
While the US news media’s coverage of Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine was better than expected, the real insights into what’s happening were
to be found among Russian-language bloggers and podcasts. They predicted a
catastrophic reality for the Russian leader and his cohort.
A well-known Russian political commentator was asked theoretically
in mid-January what would be the west’s reaction if Russia invaded Ukraine. He
replied that the first step would be to sever Russia’s connection with the
SWIFT network. After explaining what that was, he then said the result would be
the end of Putin. He elaborated that even if Putin was the richest man on earth
by far, his buddy oligarchs wouldn’t tolerate any decline in their treasures
and lifestyle. One oligarch lost $32 billion overnight because of sanctions and
other punishments, reported Ukrainian Radio. Additionally, Europe canceled
Russian-issued VISA and Master Card credit cards. Ultimately, their anger would
catch up with Putin whose demise would be a foregone conclusion.
The average, intelligent Russians are seriously opposed to
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. They realize that they and their people have been
turned into pariahs akin to Nazis after the war and their heritage has been
blackened for generations to come. In demonstrations across the country, they
vehemently expressed their opposition to the war as Russian police arrested hundreds.
The massive demonstration of Ukrainian heroism caught the
invaders and allies by surprise. The mainstream news media reported about the
Ukrainian sailors who refused to surrender to a Russian warship by telling them
to go f**k themselves much like General McAuliffe’s reply to the Nazi commander: “N
U T S !” The media reported about the sapper who was assigned to set charges
under a bridge ahead of a Russian column only to realize that he had no time to
blow up the bridge and escape so he sacrificed his young life. They also
reported about the legendary Ghost of Kyiv, who made 10 confirmed kills in a
plane that was 20 years old. Ukrainian Roma have been fulfilling their
avocation of stealing tanks while the homeless have been scrounging for bottles
with which the people would make, no, not Molotov cocktails because that’s
Russian but rather “Banderite smoothies.” We heard the young mother hiding in a
basement with her very young children and neighbors, telling the world that
their husbands are off fighting the Russian invaders, but they are in dire need
of food and medications. She also implored President Biden to send in American
troops to help defend their people from the Russian soldiers, which would make
him a hero for all times. Another woman, in tears, lamented that the Russians
came and started killing. In Kakhovka, near Kherson, Russian soldiers shot and
killed a family of six including an infant.
There was a great story about a Russian sad sack who was
captured by local residents in Sumy without firing a shot and extracted from
his tank. As they were taking him to the police, the Ukrainians taught the
feckless defender of Mother Russia to say in Ukrainian “Glory to Ukraine; Glory
to the Heroes.”
The amount of support for Ukraine in its time of need has
been nothing short of miraculous. Putin regularly protested about the so-called
persecution of Russian speakers but nothing could be farther from the truth. As
we saw during the Maidan Revolution of Dignity so too now, Ukrainian-speaking
and Russian-speaking Ukrainians are fighting side by side in defense of their
land, their people.
The news media showed former President Petro Poroshenko in
body armor encouraging his people to defend their land and nation. And perhaps
the most inspirational image of leadership during a war was President Zelenskyy
who silently answered Taras Shevchenko’s rhetorical question when Ukraine will
receive its Washington with his righteous law. Truly, the words, vision and
spirit of President Zelenskyy on the ramparts will inspire generations of
Ukrainians to defend their homeland. When asked by the United States if he
could be assisted in evacuating to safety, he replied, “I need ammunition, not
a ride.”
The amount of support that Ukraine is enjoying from
virtually the entire community of nations is incredible. Except for a handful
of Putin’s allies, the world leaders and people have sided with Ukraine. They
are demanding that the international community stop buying Russian oil, Russian
vodka and other products. Strangers have been giving high-fives to Ukrainians
displaying national insignia. Even the iconic comedy program Saturday Night
Live showed support by beginning its segment on February 26 with a rendition of
a Ukrainian spiritual hymn “Bozhe Velykyi, Yedynyi” performed by New York’s
Ukrainian Dumka chorus.
Undeniably, if there is one person on this earth who tanked
Russia and Russians, it is Vladimir Putin. Likewise, if there is one person on
this earth who raised the glory and image of Ukraine, it is Vladimir Putin.
And this weekend, Putin showed that even a cornered pig will
try to bite. After warning Finland and Sweden not to seek accession to NATO,
the Russian tyrant put on high alert the country’s nuclear forces.
This evening Zelenskyy sent a delegation to a Belarusian
border town to discuss an end to the war. No pre-conditions. Hopefully, Moscow
doesn’t repeat its well-known formula for dealing with opposing delegations by
killing them.
This war has also shown the world and Ukrainians that in
times of danger and need, the Ukrainian nation stands obstinately united. A
soldier from Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, taped himself warning Russians
that they will not find one person who isn’t committed to the cause of defending
their land. We may argue and bicker, but today, he said, all of us – city
folks, farmers, hunters, and soldiers – are united in fighting and killing
Russians for daring to enter our country.
The United States and a great number of countries have
provided a lot of needed weapons to Ukraine but now it must also mobilize the
free world to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine to protect the people from air
attacks. Additionally, the free world and NATO must comprehend that fighting
immorality and injustice with ineffective limitations such as NATO’s Article 5 is
ultimately just as immoral and contributes to collateral bloodshed, death and suffering. And don't buy Russian petroleum, gas and energy products.
The war isn’t over but it certainly isn’t going as Putin was
hoping it would. To be sure, the fight for every city, town, and village will
be bitter, and blood will be flowing down every street and civilian deaths will
be high but the Russian flag will not appear over any municipal building.
Glory to Ukraine!
