‘We have been so far working with the toothless, impotent, obsolescent policy of containment and de-escalation’
Dear Mr. President:
As we collectively try to grasp the full horror of last night’s terror attack on #Ukraine by the Putin regime it also has brought into absolute laser-like focus just what the stakes are in this perilous situation.
You see, sir, while I am a proud US Navy veteran I held no high rank, no prestigious command, garnered no extraordinary accolades. But when I raised my hand and took the oath at the apparent peak of Soviet military power before their state collapsed I was young but unquestionably not naïve. I knew exactly what I was committing myself to and why.
My squadron would be tasked with escorting and protecting the replenishment convoys to Europe if the Soviets came, as we used to say, rolling in through the Fulda Gap. We all knew very well what our decreasing by the hour odds of survival would be but nothing would have stopped us from doing whatever it possibly took to protect our charges and keep the NATO defense going. All of us in Combat Systems (and every single Sailor in the fleet along with every single Marine, Soldier, Airman & Coast Guardsman) would fight to the very last missile, the very last shell, the very last torpedo, and our very last breath to do our job and calling. Which was to protect not just our ship, our convoy, our Alliance, our country and loved ones but indeed the entire existence of our Western civilization and values as at its core that is what the Soviet aggression and war would be trying to annihilate.
Sadly, Mr. President, that precarious reality is with us once again.
The Putin regime’s attacks on Ukraine is indeed an attack on our entire Western civilization’s values & institutions and declares that intent crystal clearly in both words and action.
While the United States has provided much desperately needed support to Ukraine to help fight against this attack on all our values we hold so dear we have been so far working with the toothless, impotent, obsolescent policy of containment and “de-escalation”. There simply is no analogue of these tentative, timid responses in the Putin regime’s vocabulary, thoughts, or strategy. Indeed this type of response only encourages the regime to continue on their chosen path knowing they can wear down our support as for however long it takes in the present equilibrium as they do not have to concern themselves with public opinion.
And Mr.Sullivan, .@jakejsullivan, with all respect to your position, and I mean that sincerely, this is no longer nor has it ever been a time for calculating how many diplomats can preen on the head of a pin. It is unimaginable to me to build United States policy recommendations around “not angering Putin”. We are not in a theatrical diplomatic ballroom with subtle glances, knowing nods and a sharp retort substituting for immediate operational action. Advising “avoiding escalation” cannot be a policy choice in the reality we find ourselves in right now; it is bluntly straightforward surrender
Mr. President now is the time to heed the people that have actually militarily prepared for the times we are in – such as our emeritus Supreme Commanders of NATO, our NATO allied commanders, and the people most affected by the immediate attacks, our Ukrainian allies.
Ask your Joint Chiefs how they would win – not hold back, not slow down but WIN by making it untenable for Putin’s regime to continue any operations on Ukrainian soil – if we ourselves had no Navy, virtually no Air Force and limited, slow replenishment of any weapons of response.
Ask your Chiefs what it would take to eliminate the Kerch Bridge along with the Russian airbases and all other logistic and operational hubs on Ukrainian land with a true no-fly zone over the ENTIRETY of Ukraine. Then provide those systems and weapons immediately in all the volume and amounts it will take with the same crisis exigency as would be if the USA was attacked.
We designed, paid for and built those systems over decades for EXACTLY this time, this need, this place, this emergency.
Provide the Ukrainian people and armed forces what they need to win – again, WIN, not “attrit”, not “hold back” as so far they are the only ones dying for the sacred values and beliefs we all claim to hold so dear. But if we do not do this now, immediately, with all possible resources and top priority they will not be the only ones sacrificing themselves for the entirety of civilization.
The distressing, stark reality is if we do not do this with all haste we will have no choice but to send not just those very same weapons and systems overseas but also thousands of our American men and women in our Armed Forces to die when Article 5 is invoked as there is zero doubt Putin’s regime will not stop with Ukraine if they are not stopped and expelled right there, right now.
ccriswell @ Xwitter