*** Individual sanctions must be expanded dramatically to include ... all propagandists advocating for the war. ... Russian opposition leaders and independent journalists living in exile should be able to obtain visas" ***
What kind of the Ministry of Truth is going to separate "propagandists" from "independent journalists"? Mirotvorets? Khodorkovsky? Somebody else?
*** Obviously, Ukrainians would suffer most from such an attack, and yet they are the ones urging the West not to be deterred by Putin’s nuclear blackmail. ***
As I Ukrainian I an _not_ urging the West "not to be deferred by Putin’s nuclear blackmail". There are some Ukrainian activist living in the US and Canada that urge the US government to escalate. But they do not represent _all_ Ukrainians and they are not willing to go to fight into trenches by themselves.
*** If Russia starts winning on the battlefield, or even fights to a stalemate, few will remember U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarkable leadership in galvanizing the world to assist Ukraine in 2022. This is why Western leaders need to shift how they approach the conflict. ***
Are you saying that the need to preserve the memories of Joe Biden's "remarkable leadership" is a major reason for any policy changes? Mothers of dead soldiers do not care about preserving the memories of Joe Biden. Neither are most Americans.
Could you please comment on something you write about in this piece: the issue of travel bans and defections. How do democracies vet Russians who want to defect or leave because of their opposition to the war? How can that be done safely and effectively? The idea of a “Ukrainian reconstruction fee” is interesting. So is announcing all of these steps on February 24.
I agree with all of your recommendations to help Ukraine. I would note in particular ISW's recent analysis that concludes that the US is supplying needed weaponry about six months too late and in insufficient quantities. We should just dispense with the dithering and do what we know we will end up doing anyway. Otherwise, we are prolonging the war, and suffering on both sides. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-29-2023
I would go further, however. At the moment, Russia is attacking Ukraine with impunity from bases inside Russia or on the Black Sea. Ukraine needs advanced long-range cruise missiles to attack strategic bomber bases like Engels-2 and Shaykova, as well as naval bases such as Novorossiysk. In addition, Ukraine needs to receive permission for deep strike air missions, and for attacks on any strategic bombers that fly within range.
I would add that there are also logical targets that should be attacked in the Moscow area, especially since the Putin regime is already focusing its missile assaults on Kyiv. Needless to say, any such suggestions will give advisors in the White House an attack of the vapors, but we have to face a hard truth: we are dealing with a criminal regime that will interpret any lesser response as a sign of weakness to be exploited. Putin only respects strength.
*** The obvious place to start is to transfer the over $300 billion in Russian central bank reserves currently held by the West to the government of Ukraine. ***
How long ago Pavlo Lazarenko, Ukraine's former prime minister, was in the US jail here in California for money laundering? Why would anybody expect the current Ukrainian government to be crystal clean about other people's money?
You're dredging up ancient history, which is straight out of the Russian disinformation playbook. Ukraine still has serious problems with corruption, of course, but at least they are doing something about it and are implementing the reforms necessary to join the EU. Russia, on the other hand, is rated by Transparency International as the most corrupt country in Europe. https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/pm-shmyhal-ukraine-plans-to-join-eu-within-2-years
Important question Yuri and nice to see you here. I plan to write about this question in coming weeks . Stay tuned
*** Individual sanctions must be expanded dramatically to include ... all propagandists advocating for the war. ... Russian opposition leaders and independent journalists living in exile should be able to obtain visas" ***
What kind of the Ministry of Truth is going to separate "propagandists" from "independent journalists"? Mirotvorets? Khodorkovsky? Somebody else?
*** Obviously, Ukrainians would suffer most from such an attack, and yet they are the ones urging the West not to be deterred by Putin’s nuclear blackmail. ***
As I Ukrainian I an _not_ urging the West "not to be deferred by Putin’s nuclear blackmail". There are some Ukrainian activist living in the US and Canada that urge the US government to escalate. But they do not represent _all_ Ukrainians and they are not willing to go to fight into trenches by themselves.
*** If Russia starts winning on the battlefield, or even fights to a stalemate, few will remember U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarkable leadership in galvanizing the world to assist Ukraine in 2022. This is why Western leaders need to shift how they approach the conflict. ***
Are you saying that the need to preserve the memories of Joe Biden's "remarkable leadership" is a major reason for any policy changes? Mothers of dead soldiers do not care about preserving the memories of Joe Biden. Neither are most Americans.
Could you please comment on something you write about in this piece: the issue of travel bans and defections. How do democracies vet Russians who want to defect or leave because of their opposition to the war? How can that be done safely and effectively? The idea of a “Ukrainian reconstruction fee” is interesting. So is announcing all of these steps on February 24.
I agree with all of your recommendations to help Ukraine. I would note in particular ISW's recent analysis that concludes that the US is supplying needed weaponry about six months too late and in insufficient quantities. We should just dispense with the dithering and do what we know we will end up doing anyway. Otherwise, we are prolonging the war, and suffering on both sides. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-29-2023
I would go further, however. At the moment, Russia is attacking Ukraine with impunity from bases inside Russia or on the Black Sea. Ukraine needs advanced long-range cruise missiles to attack strategic bomber bases like Engels-2 and Shaykova, as well as naval bases such as Novorossiysk. In addition, Ukraine needs to receive permission for deep strike air missions, and for attacks on any strategic bombers that fly within range.
I would add that there are also logical targets that should be attacked in the Moscow area, especially since the Putin regime is already focusing its missile assaults on Kyiv. Needless to say, any such suggestions will give advisors in the White House an attack of the vapors, but we have to face a hard truth: we are dealing with a criminal regime that will interpret any lesser response as a sign of weakness to be exploited. Putin only respects strength.
*** The obvious place to start is to transfer the over $300 billion in Russian central bank reserves currently held by the West to the government of Ukraine. ***
How long ago Pavlo Lazarenko, Ukraine's former prime minister, was in the US jail here in California for money laundering? Why would anybody expect the current Ukrainian government to be crystal clean about other people's money?
You're dredging up ancient history, which is straight out of the Russian disinformation playbook. Ukraine still has serious problems with corruption, of course, but at least they are doing something about it and are implementing the reforms necessary to join the EU. Russia, on the other hand, is rated by Transparency International as the most corrupt country in Europe. https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/pm-shmyhal-ukraine-plans-to-join-eu-within-2-years
*** He cannot attack NATO, lest he risk a broader war that Russia would lose quickly. ***
By "broader war" you mean a nuclear war with a mushroom cloud over Washington DC? Everybody is going to lose that war, not just Russia.
You need to keep up with current events. The US has made very clear what will happen should Russia use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-catastrophic-consequences-nuclear-weapons-ukraine-us-warns-rcna49365