Watching the confusing signals emerging from the new Trump administration, hopes have been dashed by shocking statements about Russia’s war against Ukraine from the new US Secretary of State.
Let us be kind and simply call it disingenuous. In a Jan. 30 interview with “media influencer” Megyn Kelly, newly minted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, regarded as a relative moderate, made an attempt to frame Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent war as an “over there” conflict.
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He suggested that the Biden administration was being “dishonest.” But with whom? The American people? MAGA Republicans? Rubio and Kelly? Rubio went on to claim that “we’ve been asked to fund a stalemate” – to fund a war that Ukraine cannot possibly win.
Why? If the war is at a stalemate – big Russia against little Ukraine – that also means, quite obviously, that Russia is also not winning and also, maybe, cannot win.
However, more importantly, Rubio was purposefully misleading with deceitful accomplice Kelly, who claims that most Americans do not support continued funding for Ukraine “while Americans are suffering,” since the question is not can Ukraine beat Russia, but for Americans the correct question is “why doesn’t the United States want to beat Russia?”
Putin himself is defining this war as a battle between Russia and the US in his bid to regain superpower status. Invading Ukraine was Putin flicking the bird to America, Europe, NATO, the “West.” And this is OK with Rubio? He thinks Putin wants to “negotiate” a peace settlement?
Is Europe Really This Stupid?
While Biden can be accused of being overly cautious, wary of unknown consequences, what’s macho Trump’s excuse? And Ukraine, actually, is doing pretty damn good with drone destruction of Russia’s oil infrastructure and undermining the economy. There is more than one way to win a war, and to throw troops into a meat grinder to gain territory is not the only way.
The stupidest step America can take right now is to try to save the Russian economy with “private investment.” Yet that is a probable plan. This is where all this is going. Peace equals buy out. Will Putin sell Russia and call it a victory? You betcha.
Trump is incapable of a Churchill moment, and cannot even do a decent Chamberlin.
As for occupied territory – simple solution: neither Ukraine nor Russia can have it. The occupied territories will become a mini-Singapore, with a nominal parliamentary democracy completely controlled by international money and a small, private army. Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Crimea Peoples Republic, the DLKCPR. And the citizens of Ukraine, America, Russia? Suckers.
Yet what else was to be expected? Trump is incapable of a Churchill moment, and cannot even do a decent Chamberlin.
A retired US journalist and editor, Irene Jarosewich is familiar with systems falling apart having worked in Ukraine 1991-1996 and supports Ukraine in its current struggle against belligerent Russian imperialism, its apologists and appeasers.
Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of Kyiv Post.
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