Anne Applebaum, 2021, Prado Museum, Madrid.Image: imago-images.de
Anne Applebaum explains in an article how the democratic West should respond to the growing threat from Russia. She warned that this would come with huge costs.
October 15, 2024 04:45October 17, 2024 08:10
“We have to win this war.”
Anne Applebaum. Award-winning historian, journalist, and best-selling author. The American-born woman, who turned 60 in July, lives primarily in Poland, the native country of her husband, who is Poland's foreign minister.
She also held Polish citizenship for many years and said she felt European on political issues such as the war in Ukraine.
This brings us to our topic.
Applebaum recently published an opinion piece in The Atlantic that's worth reading. Its title is: 'This is the only way to end the war in Ukraine' (see source).
Watson summarizes historians' most important findings and their most accurate justifications.
How Ukraine defeated Russia
Anne Applebaum visited and traveled to Ukraine several times. She was there after Russia seized the Crimean peninsula and after Putin officially invaded the Eastern European country in 2022.
Anne Applebaum had extensive connections in the war-torn country.Image: Watson
In fact, the historian explains, Ukrainians’ will to win never wavered. She cited several reasons related to success asymmetric warfare Connected.
Ukraine, a country without a large navy, defeated the Russian Black Sea Fleet with its innovative strength. The best engineers are busy around the clock developing and testing unmanned ships, so-called maritime drones.
“These new weapons, loaded with explosives and controlled by the world's most advanced long-range navigation technology, may even change the way all future naval battles are fought.”
Ukraine's asymmetrical warfare talents are not limited to the water element. Applebaum reports that on a “recent trip,” she visited a secret development team in Ukraine. Work was being done there to significantly change the course of the war.
“In this particular facility, there are no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room full of screens. The men and women sitting in front of the screens are dressed like civilians, but in reality they are soldiers, a special forces unit Members of the unit, which aims to use experimental communications technology combined with experimental drones, both developed by Ukrainians for Ukraine.”
In this context, historians refer to a phenomenon that can be described as the commitment of civil society to the defense of Ukraine. Applebaum describes a “grassroots” movement. Many men and women were involved in military and civilian projects, such as the development of new technologies.
What makes it special is that communication and coordination with other groups is direct; those in charge do not operate through the military's official chain of command.
This increases efficiency and resiliency. And Russia will never be able to destroy “Ukraine's decision-making center,” because this center does not make all decisions.
Applebaum noted that she realized her account of the war effort in Ukraine was “distinct from other, darker stories.” She said:
“The Russian president is prepared to accept a massive loss of life and equipment that few other countries would accept. Yet Ukrainians remain convinced they can win – as long as their U.S. and European allies allow them to do so.”
Therefore, Ukraine needs greater military support from Western countries.
“The democratic world is richer and more dynamic than the authoritarian world. To keep it that way, Ukraine and its Western allies must convince Russia to stop fighting. We must win the war.”
Why a Russian victory would cost us dearly
Anne Applebaum warns:
“The multiple attacks on civilians are no coincidence; they are a tactic. Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking to deprive Ukrainians of warmth and light, demoralize the people and the government, and threaten to trigger a new wave of refugees. disrupting European politics.
Western leaders, especially US President Joe Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but also the neutral Swiss Federal Council, did not say: If Ukraine ultimately loses the war, the United States will pay a military, economic and political price will rise, their allies in Europe may rise.
The historian explains:
It will also be felt in Venezuela, where Putin's aggressive defiance undoubtedly helped his ally Nicolás Maduro suffer a crushing electoral defeat but remain in power.
The effects will also be felt in Africa, where Russian mercenaries are now supporting some ugly regimes.
Of course, this failure will also be felt by Ukraine's neighbors. “
She strongly doubts that Germany and France, let alone Poland, would react to a defeat in Ukraine, a collapse of the Ukrainian state, lawlessness or the dominance of the Russian mafia on the threshold of the EU and Europe's east. The resulting violence and preparation for crime.
The big question behind Putin’s red line
Anne Applebaum explains that red threads now only exist in our minds. Because every one of them has been surpassed.
- Ukraine is using drones to attack targets in Russia, including refineries, oil and gas export facilities and air force bases.
- Ukrainian long-range drones have struck several large ammunition depots.
- Since August, Ukraine has occupied a piece of Russian territory in the Kursk region.
Russia accepted everything. The (nuclear) consequences threatened by Kremlin representatives did not materialize. But attempts at intimidation appear to be bearing fruit in the country. and affected military aid.
Applebaum emphasized that the imaginary red lines that prevent the rapid delivery and release of important weapons systems are not the biggest problem. Ukraine cannot expel Russian aggressors with a single miracle weapon. but:
“Since the beginning of this war, we have not been able to imagine that the Ukrainians could defeat Russia, which is why we have not tried to help those who are trying to do it.”
Instead of focusing on victory, many Americans and Europeans continue to dream of a magical “negotiated solution.” The real obstacle to negotiations is not Ukrainian President Zelensky, but Putin.
According to historians, the Russians had to be convinced to stop fighting. The war will end only when the Russians run out of resources—and their resources are not unlimited—or when they realize that their alliance with Ukraine is real. Ukraine will not surrender and Russia will not win.
The sooner those in charge in the West realize this, the better for everyone.
source
Sad scene – the grave of the Ukrainian hero
1/17
Sad scene – the grave of the Ukrainian hero
Shortly after Christmas 2023, Ukrainian soldiers buried their comrade Vasyl Boichuk in the village of Ilty.
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