Escalation of Russia-Ukraine War Aids Moscow; Supporting Ukraine Ensures Peace and Justice

Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his belief in the Washington Examiner that the Russia-Ukraine War “has no military solution” but fears an increase in long-range exchanges could dramatically escalate the violence.

For me that expression indicates that the United States is not interested is Ukraine’s victory and Russia’s defeat but rather an inconclusive bloody conflict that will flare up from time to time. That eventuality will not force Washington to deal with a victor and loser. For the Trump Administration that will be tolerable so long as neither side doesn’t reach for the nuclear trigger.

However, the powers that be, especially the ones in Washington and Moscow, aren’t considering the effect on the people of Ukraine who have had to tolerate neighboring Russia for more years than the accepted duration of a dozen years of this iteration of Russia’s belligerence against Ukraine.

Speaking to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, June 3, Rubio offered a lengthy assessment of the Russian invasion. He noted specifically that "one thing that has changed" the nature of the conflict is Ukraine becoming "increasingly effective at conducting long-range strikes deep into Russia" and hitting "critical nodes of the Russian economy."

Indeed, Ukraine has recently been leading this war in strategy, tactics and weapons. It is the only non-member of NATO to have battlefield experience fighting Russians and much to the chagrin of Washington and Moscow, Kyiv is more than holding its own. It is actually dictating the war’s tempo and course. Its drones are reaching far into Russia, destroying its energy industry, an achievement that is scaring Russians, Trump and Putin. For how will the leaders of America and Russia be able to live with their peoples and themselves with albatross of defeat around its neck.

"Russia has always been capable of these long-range strikes," Rubio exaggerated but Ukraine's ability to respond in kind means "the risk of escalation is real — more real than it was two years ago." Bloody escalation is possible but only if the USA declines to reject its historical mission and decides to side with Russia.

An onslaught of drones and missiles poured onto Ukraine on Tuesday, killing nearly two dozen and injuring over 100 more. This was not the first such attack but one that was expected by all sides. The Institute for the Study of War speculated that the ramp-up in recent bombing campaigns is meant to pick up the slack of a fatigued land invasion that has slowed to a glacial pace. Another reason could be that Putin has to demonstrate to his team and supporters and regular Russians that he has some fight left in him.

“The Ukrainians have actually made some battlefield gains in the last month,” Rubio told Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), praising them for "bravely" and "effectively fighting." But its really than that. Ukraine showed that it has the  cards and numbers, to paraphrase President Trump, to stay in the fight and possibly hurt Russia enough to force it to consider dropping out of the war.

He cited the Department of War in asserting that the Russian side is among the first forces in modern history to suffer more deaths than casualties on the battlefield. Yes, the numbers are horrendous. They show that Ukraine’s Armed Forces are skilled enough to cause significant battlefield deaths among Russians. Or Moscow is not concerned by the deaths of its citizens so it just pushes more of them through the war’s death mill.

“I don't think there's any doubt at this point in the minds of most observers around the world, and I would say in the minds of some inside of Russia, that the invasion of Ukraine has been a strategic disaster for them,” Rubio said, adding that Russia “may not even be able militarily to achieve the objectives they're demanding now in negotiations.”

Rubio said the Trump Administration is not optimistic about the prospects of establishing peace any time soon. Therefore, since Ukraine has the edge and to preserve human lives, Trump, Rubio, Witkoff and others should coerce the Kremlin into throwing in the towel.

In his series of four hearings on Capitol Hill beginning Tuesday, Rubio repeatedly asserted that the "demands that both sides have to end [the war] have been far apart to this point." Indeed, Russians want to kill Ukrainians while Ukrainians want to live in peace on their ancient land.

Speaking to Durbin, according to the Washington Examiner, the secretary reiterated a point he made earlier in the day when testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee — that the United States is playing a difficult role in peace talks because U.S. officials are not "impartial mediators," furnishing Ukraine with weapons and sanctioning the Kremlin.

Consequently, that policy should be forthrightly driven home for the sake of peace and justice.