Shouldn't we be thinking about the terms on which this might be ended? Like it or not, this is going to require some compromise. Admittedly, negotiating and compromising with Putin in the face of his brutal assault on Ukraine is hard to think about, but the Ukrainians aren't going to defeat him militarily and we aren't going to fight him ourselves. Sanctions are raising the cost to Putin, but the likelihood that they will force him to withdraw in the near future seems small. Anatol Lieven sketches what a negotiated peace might look like in The Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/us
Professor, Thank you for letting us know what you’re reading relative to Ukraine. If I may, in response to yesterday’s uneasy exchanges among certain subscribers, some may appreciate the following piece from The New Republic (March 4, 2022): “The American Pundits Who Can’t Resist ‘Westsplaining’ Ukraine,” Jan Smolenski and Jan Dutkiewicz.
Thank you for the resources. I have thought of present-day Europe as, perhaps, the most civilized and forward-looking area of the world, creating freedom and higher standards of living for its people and largely avoiding wars over ethnic hatreds. It has been a shock to have it thrown in our faces that this is not the case. Ukrainians were just going about their business, trying to live their lives, just as we in the United States do, and then a vicious megalomaniac moved in to destroy their country and security. It all seems so unnecessary, so unbelievable.
It appears that Putin as dictator of Russia has gotten too used to having his demands met without question. He is now using threats to try to intimidate other countries. This is having the opposite effect of what he apparently intended. For example, Finland, which previously had steadfastly resisted joining NATO, is now seriously considering that possibility.
I don't know that, at this point, Putin will accept anything other than either installation of a puppet government under his domination or complete annexation of Ukraine into Russia. Any peace deal that would preclude either of those outcomes must be long-lasting, not just a hiatus to allow Russia to rebuild its military to invade again.
Since Russia has not attacked either the United States or any other NATO member, we cannot directly send our military to intervene, as that would constitute an aggressive attack against Russia on our part. While Putin may thumb his nose at laws, conventions, and common human decency, we cannot do the same,. We need more time for the sanctions to take effect, while helping Ukraine in any way we can.
Jeremy Kuzmarov's and John Marciano's, "The Russians are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as a Tragedy, the Second as a Farce," is the best book to read right now.
It's almost impossible to get any useful information from the news! What exactly are the Russian demands for withdrawal? Did any of your references address this one key issue, because I didn't see any. My understanding, from only a comment that I read on the internet, is that Russia will withdraw troops if Ukraine is kept out of NATO, and if NATO moves back to its 1997 borders. Is this true from what you have read too? Can't we offer those terms in negotiations? Let's do it and get the Russians out of Ukraine! If security issues are at stake for Putin, then they will always take a higher priority than sanctions. I read the Atlantic article and I'm afraid to say that I thought it was just terrible: I believe that sort of attitude will never end this war. Please see the 2015 video by Prof. Mearsheimer for what I believe is a clear understanding of this crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrMiSQAGOS4
I find this article from today's NY Times to be fascinating: "Russian Prisoners and Ukrainians Soldiers Describe two Sides of the Conflict", because it explains the effectiveness of Ukrainian ambushes against Russian armored vehicles, and the viewpoint of captured Russian soldiers who didn't know where they were or what they were to do until they actually crossed the border into Ukraine:
I'd suggest the Kiev Post (@KyivPost on Twitter or direct)."The award-winning Kyiv Post is the top international source of English-language news about Ukraine since 1995." It's helps you find out things you might not be able to learn about otherwise, and it's very readable.
There are a few other English-language Ukrainian papers online that have posted smart, knowledgable articles on Twitter; I'll see if I can find them. (Now where did I put that when I need it?)
We’ve had enough of Putin’s criminal assault on cities and civilians across the country of Ukraine. It’s time to stand up and give Putin a taste of the only thing he seems to understand – a military force that will stand by the bombarded people of Ukraine!
I’ve written to our Congressman Katko and our two U.S. Senators that we have seen enough of the sordid and deadly actions of Russia’s war criminal, Vladimir Putin.
It’s time to stand up to the Russian communist bully and send our U.S. and NATO troops into western Ukraine and hold the line on further Russian incursions within that country. We can’t just stand by and watch him overpower and destroy an innocent nation that has made zero threats against their Russian neighboring country.
It’s time to show that the United States and its European NATO partners have the guts and the military to stand up to Putin and his senseless Russian invasion.
I read and subscribe to most of these publications also. We have no idea what is going to happen.....It is in the lap of the gods, it seems to me. There is talk of a Ukrainian govt.-in-exile being discussed, but I think without Zelensky in the country, morale would generally collapse. RR: what are your views on this??
I have read a lot of comments on other channels about "drill baby drill" and how we should have let the pipeline be built. These are the dreams of the fossil fuel overloads.
OK, we agree for the short term, but demand that if we do that we do the long term hard work of switching this country off fossil fuels permanently.
We cannot get everyone off fossil fuels all at once. But we can hold it hostage until they agree to the long term goals of renewable. Demand the most ambitious renewable plans we can think of. If they want short term increase in fossil fuels enough then they will agree to the longer term massive switch to renewable energy, and make it binding as hell.
We have been moving way too slow, and backsliding every time. This is the mess that fossil fuels cause. The wrong people are in charge and don't seem to care about the rest of us.
Thank you for this wonderful list of resources. I've been reading most of them already but appreciate the links to publications that I've missed. Last evening PBS aired a one hour documentary titled "Rick Steves - Fascism in Europe." I would highly recommend this, not only are the similarities striking with Putin, you'll see just how close our own country came to falling as well. Here is the link for those interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU1IVW6uqM0
Shouldn't we be thinking about the terms on which this might be ended? Like it or not, this is going to require some compromise. Admittedly, negotiating and compromising with Putin in the face of his brutal assault on Ukraine is hard to think about, but the Ukrainians aren't going to defeat him militarily and we aren't going to fight him ourselves. Sanctions are raising the cost to Putin, but the likelihood that they will force him to withdraw in the near future seems small. Anatol Lieven sketches what a negotiated peace might look like in The Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/us
Professor, Thank you for letting us know what you’re reading relative to Ukraine. If I may, in response to yesterday’s uneasy exchanges among certain subscribers, some may appreciate the following piece from The New Republic (March 4, 2022): “The American Pundits Who Can’t Resist ‘Westsplaining’ Ukraine,” Jan Smolenski and Jan Dutkiewicz.
Thank you for the resources. I have thought of present-day Europe as, perhaps, the most civilized and forward-looking area of the world, creating freedom and higher standards of living for its people and largely avoiding wars over ethnic hatreds. It has been a shock to have it thrown in our faces that this is not the case. Ukrainians were just going about their business, trying to live their lives, just as we in the United States do, and then a vicious megalomaniac moved in to destroy their country and security. It all seems so unnecessary, so unbelievable.
It appears that Putin as dictator of Russia has gotten too used to having his demands met without question. He is now using threats to try to intimidate other countries. This is having the opposite effect of what he apparently intended. For example, Finland, which previously had steadfastly resisted joining NATO, is now seriously considering that possibility.
I don't know that, at this point, Putin will accept anything other than either installation of a puppet government under his domination or complete annexation of Ukraine into Russia. Any peace deal that would preclude either of those outcomes must be long-lasting, not just a hiatus to allow Russia to rebuild its military to invade again.
Since Russia has not attacked either the United States or any other NATO member, we cannot directly send our military to intervene, as that would constitute an aggressive attack against Russia on our part. While Putin may thumb his nose at laws, conventions, and common human decency, we cannot do the same,. We need more time for the sanctions to take effect, while helping Ukraine in any way we can.
Jeremy Kuzmarov's and John Marciano's, "The Russians are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as a Tragedy, the Second as a Farce," is the best book to read right now.
It's almost impossible to get any useful information from the news! What exactly are the Russian demands for withdrawal? Did any of your references address this one key issue, because I didn't see any. My understanding, from only a comment that I read on the internet, is that Russia will withdraw troops if Ukraine is kept out of NATO, and if NATO moves back to its 1997 borders. Is this true from what you have read too? Can't we offer those terms in negotiations? Let's do it and get the Russians out of Ukraine! If security issues are at stake for Putin, then they will always take a higher priority than sanctions. I read the Atlantic article and I'm afraid to say that I thought it was just terrible: I believe that sort of attitude will never end this war. Please see the 2015 video by Prof. Mearsheimer for what I believe is a clear understanding of this crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrMiSQAGOS4
Besides you, I have been rereading Anne Applebaum and Timothy Snyder.
I find this article from today's NY Times to be fascinating: "Russian Prisoners and Ukrainians Soldiers Describe two Sides of the Conflict", because it explains the effectiveness of Ukrainian ambushes against Russian armored vehicles, and the viewpoint of captured Russian soldiers who didn't know where they were or what they were to do until they actually crossed the border into Ukraine:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/world/europe/ukraine-russia-soldiers-war.html
I'd suggest the Kiev Post (@KyivPost on Twitter or direct)."The award-winning Kyiv Post is the top international source of English-language news about Ukraine since 1995." It's helps you find out things you might not be able to learn about otherwise, and it's very readable.
There are a few other English-language Ukrainian papers online that have posted smart, knowledgable articles on Twitter; I'll see if I can find them. (Now where did I put that when I need it?)
It’s Time to Shut the Door on Russia in Ukraine
We’ve had enough of Putin’s criminal assault on cities and civilians across the country of Ukraine. It’s time to stand up and give Putin a taste of the only thing he seems to understand – a military force that will stand by the bombarded people of Ukraine!
I’ve written to our Congressman Katko and our two U.S. Senators that we have seen enough of the sordid and deadly actions of Russia’s war criminal, Vladimir Putin.
It’s time to stand up to the Russian communist bully and send our U.S. and NATO troops into western Ukraine and hold the line on further Russian incursions within that country. We can’t just stand by and watch him overpower and destroy an innocent nation that has made zero threats against their Russian neighboring country.
It’s time to show that the United States and its European NATO partners have the guts and the military to stand up to Putin and his senseless Russian invasion.
I read and subscribe to most of these publications also. We have no idea what is going to happen.....It is in the lap of the gods, it seems to me. There is talk of a Ukrainian govt.-in-exile being discussed, but I think without Zelensky in the country, morale would generally collapse. RR: what are your views on this??
Please add the following: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5BAZ2bBUzM; and https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/03/03/how-does-this-end-pub-86570?utm_source=ctw&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=buttonlink&mkt_tok=MDk1LVBQVi04MTMAAAGC8Rh5kECeVChHyUhKFSgXfi_Qjre-uVvBZ_E12g7hD3DXWtxDBHnn_RatfrzvCEHJYvH_CrZAudlOjrmze3EgerqnKW5tPM4h9c-ZuBverj6a7w
I have read a lot of comments on other channels about "drill baby drill" and how we should have let the pipeline be built. These are the dreams of the fossil fuel overloads.
OK, we agree for the short term, but demand that if we do that we do the long term hard work of switching this country off fossil fuels permanently.
We cannot get everyone off fossil fuels all at once. But we can hold it hostage until they agree to the long term goals of renewable. Demand the most ambitious renewable plans we can think of. If they want short term increase in fossil fuels enough then they will agree to the longer term massive switch to renewable energy, and make it binding as hell.
We have been moving way too slow, and backsliding every time. This is the mess that fossil fuels cause. The wrong people are in charge and don't seem to care about the rest of us.
Body Language, communication techniques, etc. by 4 leading experts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCXGQzuaNic
Curious piece by Alexander Vindman, about Lend Lease program on Foreign Affairs!
War Hawks are coming out of the woodwork, never miss a golden opportunity for war and profits $!
Curious piece by Alexander Vindman, about Lend Lease program on Foreign Affairs!
War Hawks are coming out of the woodwork, never miss a golden opportunity for war and $$!
Thank you for this wonderful list of resources. I've been reading most of them already but appreciate the links to publications that I've missed. Last evening PBS aired a one hour documentary titled "Rick Steves - Fascism in Europe." I would highly recommend this, not only are the similarities striking with Putin, you'll see just how close our own country came to falling as well. Here is the link for those interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU1IVW6uqM0