NEWSWATCH: Ukraine needs America’s help

Ukraine Map and Flag

[“Ukraine needs America’s help” – Washington Post – Steven Pifer, Strobe Talbott – January 29, 2015]

Steven Pifer and Strobe Talbott, in a Washington Post op-ed, address the unfolding conflict in Ukraine and U.S. options.

The new year has brought more misery …. Separatist fighters, supported by Russian troops, have launched attacks in Donetsk and Luhansk. Diplomatic efforts have made no progress toward a settlement – or even toward firming up a cease-fire that has all but collapsed. The West … needs to get serious about assisting Ukraine if it does not wish to see the situation deteriorate further. That means committing real money now to aid Ukraine’s defense.

They report that Russian military intervention occurred in eastern Ukraine last August.

A partial ceasefire dissolved into stepped-up action in December. And recent pro-Russia separatist activity might have been bolstered by Russian forces.

Following the intervention by regular Russian army units in eastern Ukraine in August, a cease-fire was hammered out … Observance of the cease-fire terms has been piecemeal at best, with regular shelling ….

After a December lull, fighting picked up again this month. The leader of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic recently said he will take all of Donetsk. The next day, separatists, possibly augmented by Russian troops, rocketed the city of Mariupol, killing some 30 civilians.

The authors accuse Russia of doing nothing to help bring about peace in Ukraine and instead seeking to foment conflict to undermine the Ukrainian government, including with the use of what appear to be Russian troops.

Moscow has done nothing to promote a peaceful settlement. It did not withdraw its weapons, nor did it secure the Ukraine-Russia border, as it agreed to do …. Putin continues to deny that his forces fight in Ukraine – even as Russian television shows soldiers in action wearing Russian insignia.

By all appearances, the Kremlin seeks to keep the conflict simmering to pressure and destabilize the Ukrainian government.

In response to Russian aggression, they argue, the United States and EU should move beyond economic sanctions and nonlethal aid to Ukraine, to help Ukraine deter further Russian aggression.

… Russia has torn up the rule book that maintained peace, stability and security in Europe for almost 70 years, and … used force to change borders. …

… the United States and European Union have responded to Russia’s aggression with economic sanctions. These have inflicted serious damage on the Russian economy but have not yet achieved their political goal: turning Moscow toward a genuine negotiated settlement.

The United States has also provided military assistance to Kiev… only $120 million … limited to nonlethal aid.

Washington needs to do more … giving the Ukrainian military sufficient means to make further aggression so costly that Putin and the Russian army are deterred from escalating the fight.

Eight former high-ranking U.S. officials are recommending a series of steps, including Pifer, Talbott, Ivo Daalder, Michèle Flournoy, John Herbst, Jan Lodal, James Stavridis and Charles Wald.

First, the White House and Congress must commit serious money to Ukraine’s defense: $1 billion in military assistance this fiscal year ….

Second, the U.S. government should alter its policy and begin providing lethal assistance to Ukraine. …

Third, the U.S. government should approach other NATO member states about assisting Ukraine, particularly those countries that operate former Soviet equipment and weapons systems compatible with Ukraine’s hardware.

One example of equipment with targeted tactical benefits for Ukraine would be counter-battery radars. Such systems would help pinpoint the origins of rocket and artillery fire. Enemy rocket and artillery fire cause about 70 percent of Ukrainian casualties.

Additionally, they argue that Ukrainian government forces could benefit from light anti-armor weapons, such as anti-tank weapons. They suggest that Ukraine’s current anti-tank are decades-old and often nonfunctional.

The authors caution that the arrival of spring could mean heightened military activity. At the same time, they point out that one goal of stepped up assistance to Ukraine is deterrence.

Time is urgent. Spring arrives in three months in eastern Ukraine, and fighting could then achieve new intensity. We should help the Ukrainians deter that.

Click here for “Ukraine needs America’s help”

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

 

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