LETTER TO THE EDITOR / STAY THE COURSE

By Roger C. Kostmayer

Without cause, Putin and Russia invaded their smaller sovereign neighbor a year and half ago.  The US and NATO united behind Ukraine, because underdog Ukraine was fighting and dying to protect all democracies, and NATO and the US promised to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes”.  In spite of the commitments, there are legitimate questions about when and how this horrific war will end.

Realistically, the only three ways for the war to end are: by Putin who started it; by military victory for Ukraine and NATO; or if second term newly re-elected President Trump spends a day giving Putin everything he wants.  Victory is the only acceptable option.  As for negotiations with Putin, President Zelenskyy said -“If you want to know if you can trust Putin’s word, especially about future land grabs, ask his deceased friend Yevgeny Prigozhin.”

History suggests that the only good way to end a war with Hitler, Putin or similar others, is with unequivocal victory.  Today, a substantial bipartisan majority of Americans want to keep our word and win the war by staying the course and increasing the pain on Putin and Russia.  Senator McConnell says “It’s certainly not the time to go wobbly”, and Republican candidate Nikki Haley agrees passionately and says Ukraine is a “pro-American country that was invaded by a thug”.

The question is, can we and our allies win in the next year or so, and the answer is encouraging.  To oversimplify (in order to avoid long technical weapon and strategy details) war can be defined in 3 dimensions: Land, Sea and Air.  Phase one, the Land phase of the Russian/Ukraine war, is similar to the early slogging years of WW I and trench warfare, which stalemate is an advantage to Russia which has more troops and practical sanctuary for their homeland.  However, with proper support from NATO and the US, both the Sea and Land phases give Ukraine significant advantages that should lead to victory – especially if they can retaliate against targets in Russia.

The US has already announced it plans to send advanced long range missile systems to Ukraine, and that will enable them to strike further into Russian territory.  Another example is Ukraine recently hitting the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet and supply lines.  In 2024, for example, the Ukrainian pilots complete training to fly the superior and highly sophisticated F-16 fighter jets supplied by NATO.  Similar advanced weapons are available to dominate the Black Sea, and Ukraine has already destroyed a number of key targets, including Russia’s most prized warship, the “Moscow”.

If we and our allies keep our promises, support Ukraine, stay united (domestically and internationally) and stay the course, democracy and international law will win.

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