YURI VANETIK, private investor, lawyer and political strategist based in California
Why did Ukraine become a battlefield?
The current situation in Ukraine began with the Euromaidan protests of 2013-2014, which resulted in the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Russia then began a military intervention in Ukraine, which resulted in the annexation of Crimea. The conflict then escalated into a full-blown war in the Donbas region of Ukraine, which is still ongoing.
The Ukraine War: Can It Be Won?
Ukraine became a battlefield, or better say, WWIII is happening in Ukraine with more than 50 countries supporting Ukraine from one side in this conflict, including the United States, Canada, and most of the countries in the European Union. These countries have provided economic, political, and military assistance to Ukraine. On the other hand, Russia has the support of countries such as China, North Korea and Iran. India also expressed some sort of support to Russia, by not condemning the Russian aggression. Ukraine is a true battle between Good and Evil. How this war can be won?
Many experts and think-tanks believe, it is impossible to win such a war with the current state of affairs as Russian, Chinese and Iranian resources significantly exceed Ukrainian and the West is not doing enough… The war has become a proxy war with many different agendas. The only way to win such a war would be to have a complete and utter victory by one side, which is currently highly unlikely. Victory requires total unity. Therefore if unity is not reached, the best way to win such a war would be to have a diplomatic solution that would be agreeable to all parties involved.
More weapons for Ukraine
The Stinger anti-aircraft missiles are a key concern as the Ukrainians have been pleading for them for years to help take out Russian drones and other aircraft that have been targeting their positions. The US has already sent a few hundred of the missiles to Ukraine, but the Ukrainians have said they need many more.
The US has also sent other weapons systems to Ukraine in recent months, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, Mark 48 torpedoes, and anti-tank and anti-bunker munitions.
Biden Administration is not doing enough
The challenge for the Biden administration is how to keep up the flow of weapons to Ukraine without depleting US stockpiles or angering Moscow by providing too much military support to Kyiv.
One option being considered is to provide Ukraine with excess stocks of older weapons systems that the US is no longer using, such as BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles, which are no longer in service with the US military.
U.S. must increase the production of weapons systems
Another option is to increase the production of key weapons systems, such as the Stinger missiles, to replenish US stockpiles and meet Ukrainian demand. But that would take time and would require a significant investment by the US industrial base, which is already stretched thin by other defense programs.
The Biden administration is also facing pressure from some members of Congress to provide Ukraine with more lethal weapons, including Javelin missiles, which could be used to target Russian tanks. But doing so could further escalate the conflict and lead to more American soldiers being killed or wounded.
Ultimately, the decision on whether to provide Ukraine with more weapons will come down to weighing of the risks and benefits, with the Biden administration having to decide how much support is enough to help Ukraine without provoking a full-scale war with Russia.
Therefore if unity is not reached, the victory will not be possible. Without unity a diplomatic solution will put Ukraine in a weaker position and might seem like a defeat for Ukrainian people, with lost human lives and lost land.
