By Donald A. Collins | 10 March 2022
Church and State
The free world is cheering the bravery and resolve of Ukrainians as they inhibit the fumbling Russian invasion, but history—including our own in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan—suggests that the murderous Putin will double down and again prove the inability of even the most severe sanctions to quickly change his behavior.
This situation is unique in that we are dealing with a tyrant of uncertain mental condition who has nuclear weapons.
However, the solution I suggested in my previous Op Ed simply avoids the kind of devastating bloodshed we inflicted on Vietnam and elsewhere because we didn’t analyze and try to achieve the most stabilizing solution but continued to cloak policy in unachievable ideological goals. Putin’s goal is different but also unachievable.
If Putin, who for now won’t stop, continues, the losses on both sides will be unacceptable. Standing by and cheering about bravery and the horror of what is occurring as we are won’t fix this stalemate, when a deal could possibly be struck.
Hope both sides will note the history of such battle field stalemates. Perhaps one of the most sad and stupid was in 1916 at WWI at Verdun.
Read about that here.
#OTD 1916: The #BattleOfVerdun began on the Western Front between German and French forces. It was one of the longest and most-ferocious battles of the war. https://t.co/bggHEIo5Jp #MilitaryHistory #WWI pic.twitter.com/1moch6wL4l
— Tammi Minoski (@TammiMinoski) February 22, 2020
Or here.
Battle of Verdun began 101 years ago today in France during WW I.
one of the largest and longest battles of the war.https://t.co/9JOqnq4Gxz pic.twitter.com/vFifIuUPy6— Rick Brutti (@Rbrutti) February 21, 2017
What if Putin withdraws and takes control of the Russian speaking part of Eastern Ukraine which gives him a buffer zone?
No, many hard liners will scream!! But our Monroe Doctrine concerns during the Cuban Missile Crisis seems to have some congruence here.
Let me repeat from my last Op Ed the case for making a deal.
Let me repeat from my last Op Ed the case for making a deal.
The obvious advantages: The killing of innocent Ukrainian people stops, destruction of their assets stops, Putin gets his off ramp, and a buffer zone and the NATO members can offer Ukraine reconstruction aid, and perhaps a deal for no NATO membership for Ukraine for some (negotiable) years.
I continue to argue that the main loser will be Ukraine even if Putin finally leaves and suffers badly at home where he might even be dethroned.
No deal is in prospect now, and Thursday’s talks between Ukraine’s and Russia’s top foreign ministers failed for now to see mutual advantage in compromise. Highly regrettable but I predict talks will resume.
Read here.
Ukraine foreign minister says Russian officials 'live in their own reality' after talks fail https://t.co/CGFjYowSjq
— CNBC (@CNBC) March 10, 2022
And the Chernobyl nuclear situation bears careful scrutiny. Read here.
And now the White House expresses fear of Russian use of poison gas. Read here.
Despite these reports, the time for patience is now. Both sides have much to gain.
From our perspective, this crisis has unforeseen benefits including the US and NATO getting better reunited and our sanctions will have, if a deal can ensue, surely helped. The horrors of what we now can clearly see escalating will serve as a reminder to Putin to not make such a bad judgement again about Ukraine.
And for those like me who want freedom to prevail, a deal would be most satisfying. And please don’t tell me peace is being bought by incurring future troubles since that is a given in world history.
At home and around the world humans could get back to focusing on solving urgent major problems such as climate, COVID, environment, and human survival on earth!
Let’s hope for a deal.
Former US Navy officer, banker and venture capitalist, Donald A. Collins, a free lance writer living in Washington, DC, has spent over 50 years working for women’s reproductive health as a board member and/or officer of numerous family planning organizations including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Guttmacher Institute, Family Health International and Ipas. Yale under graduate, NYU MBA. He is the author of “From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013”, “Trump Becoming Macbeth: Will our democracy survive?”, “We Humans Overwhelm Our Earth: 11 or 2 Billion by 2100?”, “What Can Be Done Now to Save Habitable Life on Planet Earth?: Leaders Commit to Reduce Human Population” and “Vote”."What Can Be Done Now to Save Habitable Life on Planet Earth?": https://t.co/fHuh0CG6JD
"We Humans Overwhelm Our Earth: 11 or 2 Billion by 2100?": https://t.co/TA4j7cp1tE
"From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013": https://t.co/lkC2t3E1A9 pic.twitter.com/bQsL2mLBcO— Church and State (@ChurchAndStateN) November 1, 2021
Cease-fire talks between Russia and Ukraine fail to find common ground | DW News
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Putin’s power: Can anyone stop the Russian president? – BBC Newsnight
Putin and Xi against the West: Democracy under pressure? | To the point
