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Most Americans understandably favor the Ukrainian resistance against Vladimir Putin’s Russian naked 2022 aggression.
Yet for Ukraine to break the current deadlock—our generation’s Verdun with perhaps 600,000 combined casualties so far— and “win” the war, it apparently must have the military wherewithal to hit targets inside Russia.
Such strategically logical attacks might nevertheless provoke a wounded and unpredictable Russia finally to carry out its boilerplate and ignored existential threats.
In Vietnam, Korea, and Afghanistan, Russia supplied America’s enemies—sometimes even sending Russian pilots into combat zones.
Thousands of Americans likely died due to our adversaries’ use of Russian munitions and personnel.
Likewise, Russia lost 15,000 fatalities in its decade-long misadventure in Afghanistan. In part, Moscow’s defeat may have been due to deadly American weapons, including sophisticated Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.
In the bloody decades of these big-power proxy wars, many were fought on or near the borders of Russia or China.
Yet none of these surrogate conflicts of the nuclear age ever led to hot wars between the U.S. and Russia or China.
But Ukraine risks now becoming a new—and different—proxy war altogether.
Never has the U.S. squared off against Russia or China in a conventional proxy war over either’s respective historical borders (whether illegitimate or not).
Neither has Russia nor the U.S. itself ever provided weapons to a proxy belligerent that were used directly inside the respective homeland of either side. They understood superpowers react unpredictably to any third-party who fuels direct conventional attacks on their homelands.
Nobly protecting both Ukraine and Taiwan understandably holds a potential risk of big-power escalation that even Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq likely did not.
The U.S. rightly is very sensitive to intrusions of any rival big power near its own borders.
When the Soviets had supplied missiles aimed at the U.S. to its proxy communist Cuba, the Kennedy administration was willing to risk war against Moscow. Indeed, America went to DefCon 2, the second highest level of nuclear readiness.
If all the current 1916-style talk of going into Mexico—ostensibly to stop the cartels from importing drugs over an inert border that kill 100,000 Americans a year—were to be reified, would the U.S. warn Moscow not to supply Mexico or the cartels with weapons or advisors?
The U.S. in 1917 declared war in part because of German interference in our own territorial affairs.
A hacked telegram from German State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Arthur Zimmermann revealed Germany had promised a potential proxy, Mexico, some U.S. territory if it were to join the Central Powers to defeat the Allies. That provocation helped convince enraged Americans to enter World War I.
The 9/11 hit was followed by an immediate American invasion of Afghanistan on the grounds that the third-party Taliban helped terrorists strike our homeland.
Additionally, nowhere in the world has territory been more disputed than in Ukraine.
Seventy-eight years ago, Joseph Stalin’s Russia formally annexed his previously stolen western regions of currently independent Ukraine. The lands were taken mostly from Poland, but also a few parts from Hungary, Romania, and the former Czechoslovakia.
Russia also seized and occupied Crimea in 2014. The peninsula had previously been Russian from 1783-1954.
Yet Crimea was only ceded by Soviet Russia to Soviet Ukraine in 1954 as a political ploy of then Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev —himself born near the Ukrainian border.
Khrushchev sought to ensure that a restive Ukraine stayed an integral part of a supposedly eternal Soviet Union by ceremonially including Crimea into one of its own Soviet state’s sub-jurisdictions.
With the fall of the Soviet Union, the short-lived Russian-majority, and independent Republic of Crimea (1992-95), was annexed by the newly independent Ukraine.
It then remained part of the Ukrainian nation for 19 years until the 2014 invasion.
Why Putin for a third time dared invade Ukraine is obfuscated by contemporary domestic politics.
He likely enacted his irredentist agenda of restoring the borders of the former Soviet Union in 2008, 2014, and 2021, because he gambled—correctly—that the Bush, Obama, and Biden administrations could not successfully oppose his serial annexations.
Equally forgotten were the policies of the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations regarding the 2014 Russian annexation of the Donbas and Crimea. Prior to the February 24, 2022 Russian attack on Kyiv, none of the three had ever sought to force Russia to give up either the borderlands or the Crimea.
The Obama administration’s disastrous 2009-2014 Russian “reset” appeasement policy, the 2015-16 Russian collusion hoax, and the humiliating American skedaddle from Kabul also convinced Putin that America either would not or could not oppose his 2022 invasion.
America should help Ukraine resist Russian aggression. But we should be mindful in doing so that the entire region is an historical Gordian Knot of poorly understood but ancient intertwined and competing threads—one that may risk being cut by a Russian nuclear sword.
STJOHNOFGRAFTON says
The US helping Ukraine resist Russian aggression launders money into Zelenskyy’s pockets. When that poseur Zelenskyy volunteers to lead by example and fight Russian agression at the front lines with the young soldiers putting their lives on line, then US aid might be better served.
RMC1000 says
There is no Ukrainian government . It was overthrown by the American Left and it’s billionaire donors that installed Zelenkyy , fired any prosecutors that were in the way and imprisoned all of Zelenskyys political opponents .
So in actuality , the American Left is sending American tax payer dollars to the ” Ukrainian Government ” that is actually the American Left itself . lol With zero accountability . ( no receipts ) .
A free-for-all cabal .
And , as an added bonus , they’re implementing that same strategy right here in America . Right now .
Judith says
We don’t understand the Ukraine, we still don’t understand Vietnam, and we will never understand Afghanistan. Our own government is a lie–we don’t even understand ourselves. There is so much danger right here, right now, We have utterly failed to export democracy. We export weapons, it’s what we do best. Can we afford the blood and treasure we compulsively expend in places we will never understand even as we’re taxed and “governed” by spooks and swine who don’t care to understand us?
Jeff Bargholz says
A Ukranian attack on the interior of Russia sounds like a very bad idea to me.
And the US billions going to Ukraine needs to be cut off. We’re funding their farmers for Gods sake, and even sending seeds and other agricultural products while our farmers are left hanging. And who knows how much of those funds go to oligarchs and organized crime?
I say let them sort their own problems out.
Jeff Bargholz says
Whoever down voted me likes the possible use of nuclear weapons and hates American farmers.
And probably likes prancing around in his mom’s underwear to Taylor Smith while rubbing peanut bbutter on himself.
RMC1000 says
There is no ” Their ” government . It’s the American Left that is now the Ukrainian Government . 100’s of Billions of American tax payers money going through Ukraine and ended up in the hands of the American Left . lol With zero accountability and zero receipts .
Tom says
I disagree with Victor on this one. We should immediately demand a resolution to the conflict and stop funding Ukraine military. We should also pull our soldiers out of all bases outside of the United states.
Banastre Tarleton says
The war was provoked by the Globalists as Putin’s Russia refused to march in lockstep to the Globalist beat of suicidal open borders, destructive climate cult and the nefarious LGBTQ ideology , and who, WHO can blame them as they don’t want to end up like us
Would it be OK if Russian tanks were 5 hours drive south from LA in Mexico , so why are NATO tanks 5 hours drive from St Petersburg ?
The idiotic and decadent WEst are entirely to blame for this war , but it’s going to come back and haunt them as Russia is out producing all of NATO in munitions and they can build war equipment at a fraction of the cost of the over engineered , over priced junk from the West ; as such , Ukraine and the WEst are never going to win a war of attrition with the Russians
In reality this war is the high water mark of Globalism, the fulcrum point, or hinge of fate that history turns upon ; this war is acting as a catalyst and bankrupting both NATO and the EU .. we are approaching a historic turning point something akin to 1989-91 but this time with the West collapsing like a house of cards and Russia resurgent
Jeff Bargholz says
Yeah, the West forced Putin to invade the Ukraine. I notice the West hasn’t invaded Russia. EVER.
Jeff Bargholz says
Technically true and good examples but when Butt Boy wrote “West,” we both know he was referring to Nato and the the modern age. I should’ve expressed myself better
Jeff Bargholz says
And I was referring to the current Russia, not the old one or the Soviet Union. Again, I should’ve clarified that. Nonetheless, I’m right, no matter how poorly I expressed myself.
Marke Dunn says
That awful woman that destroyed Germany, Angela something, said the Minsk agreement was a scam. NATO purposely negotiated in bad faith.
Tom says
Jeff, the West has invaded Russia at least twice. France did it in 1812, and Germany in 1941. Russia is justified in being paranoid with powerful Western neighbors knocking on its doorstep in Eastern Europe.
Jeff Bargholz says
I was referring to the current Russia. I should’ve clarified that.
But none of Russia’s Western neighbors have powerful militaries and none are threatening Russia. NATO could be a formidable organization if it were functional but it isn’t and it isn’t threatening Russia.
Banastre Tarleton says
You gormless redneck moron
Jeff Bargholz says
You turd nibbling trolltard.
Jeff Bargholz says
Whoever down voted me blows Putin and Biden 7 days a week.
Gordon says
This is the reality. One can ignore the facts and pretend what happened and continues is not but that doesn’t change the facts of the matter.
Jeff Bargholz says
What is the reality?
Banastre Tarleton says
In thirty years the political poles have been reversed with the Russians recovered from the 70 year utopian cult of communism , but the West have became a lightweight version and parody of the last decade of the USSSR due to Leftist/ Globalist ideology
Russian Putin sings National Anthem – YouTube
Take a look at this and try not to have a tear of nostalgia for what we once were
J.J. Sefton says
So, Victor Davis Hanson in the very first sentence encourages the very thing that he warns against in his entire essay?
It’s double-talk. Trying to put out a fire that we created by running into it naked with a water pistol is not a good idea, sir.
J.J. Sefton says
Should be “a fire that we helped to create.” The troubles between Ukraine and Russia go back centuries.
Jeff Bargholz says
I don’t remember America encouraging Putin to invade the Ukraine. And don’t give me any of that STUPID bullshit about Putin being intimidated by NATO. That’s HIS lying excuse. NATO existed when Trump was President, You Putin loving dumbass.
roberta says
Russia has won this war. Ukrainian ”soldiers” are surrendering by the thousands. The media and our politicians have been lying about Ukrainian successes the entire time.
Zelensky is a war criminal against his own countrymen. But it has paid well.$$$$$$$$
I really hope that if our warmonger/moneymachine in DC try sending our young people to die in Ukraine, that our young people are smart enough to say NO.
sjam says
Utter Schmegegge!
Cat says
schmegegge is a noun and refers to a person. To whom do you refer?
Jeff Bargholz says
It definitely refers to Alzheimer Joe.
Dave white says
Who is the aggressor in Ukraine?
The US agreed in the 1990s to protect Ukraine if it gave up its Russian Nucs.
Russia/Ukraine reminds me of Germany/Czechoslovakia, Austria, Poland before WWII.
Russia/Georgia, Crimea, Ukraine, next?
Appeasement in the beginning often means more blood later.
RMC1000 says
Ukraine has been overthrown by the American Left . It’s just another ally for the New World Order . (Not really an ally , it’s the American Left itself ). lol Anyway , the ” Russian reset ” was just an attempt by the Obama gang ( Obama ,Soros, Holder , Clinton , Rice , etc,etc,etc. ) to align Putin with their New World Order and it failed .
Putin isn’t about to share his totalitarian stronghold with anyone else . So , the Lefts Ukraine went to war with Putin with the goal of overthrowing Putin and replacing him with someone that will ally with the New World Order .
So the Left is financing a war with American tax payers money , in order to overthrow our constitutional republic .lol Evil in it’s purest form . ( deceit ) .
They can give two craps about the Ukrainian people . They care about one thing and that one thing is ruling the world .
Putin is in the way because he will never share his power that he already has and Trump is in the way because he’s the ultimate protector of our constitutional Republic at this moment in time . The Lefts 2 favorite targets .
Ruling the world is the only goal of the Left . They wake up every single day with only that in mind . Green economy , Rampant crime , weaponizing the press and the intel community , all for the New World Order .
Their every move is a lie designed to overthrow America and so the world . JMHO .
danknight says
Well, professor … you lost me at the first sentence. And the rest of the article isn’t much better.
Don’t you know any Ukrainians?! Any Russians?! Have you been there in the last 30 years?!
Seeing everything through the lens of a Soviet Cold Warrior projects a picture that obfuscates what’s been going on over there since the Soviet Union’s collapse.
Without a reverse diaspora to remove Russians from lands they occupied during the communist era … Pootler has hundreds of thousands of Russians spread across the former empire of evil who are in very real and very mortal danger of being ethnically cleansed if not outright democided by the new ‘governments.’
Many of these are beholden to ‘our’ post-Soviet Cold Warriors … who for fun and profit want to sow war, terrorism, and division across the former empire of evil … because they’re effin’ lunatics.
As usual … my take is not what’s ‘usual’ … because I don’t give a flip about how dropping cluster munitions on civilians is justified by ‘geopolitical’ interests that look a lot like warmongering for special interests to launder bribes from those same interests to politicians in power.
We’ve flown by off ramp after off ramp on the road to war … driven by people who have absolutely no conscience and no more concern for the future than I have for the hamburger in my freezer.
It’s way past time to admit that SAME lunatics who declare Biden to be the Messiah and Trump to be the Orange Man Bad …
… who support sex perversion and pedophilia …
… who support open borders and welfare fraud …
… who support crime in the streets and gun control …
Are the SAME lying lie-tards telling you we have to keep arming Nazis and bombing civilians.
Again. DO YOU KNOW ANYONE THERE?! NOW?! … I do. And I also know the lying dipwads here. I see no reason to believe any lying Nazi loving Demokkkrat over the word of Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian engineers. Especially when the word of my engineering friends is consistent with what’s been happening over there.
Someone please tell Victor to get new sources …