The Ukraine war thread

taiwan_girl

Sen McConnell speaks regarding aid.

https://www.axios.com/2023/10/30/mitch-mcconnell-ukraine-israel-aid

“This is a moment for swift and decisive action to prevent further loss of life, and to impose real consequences on the tyrants who have terrorized the people of Ukraine and of Israel,” McConnell said while introducing Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., at an event at the University of Louisville.

“Right now, the Senate has a chance to produce supplemental assistance that will help us do exactly that,” McConnell said. “Enemies abroad will be watching closely and waiting for America to falter. Only our concrete and credible support can deter our adversaries in the future and restore security.”

“Think of it as an axis of evil: China, Russia and Iran,” he continued. “So this is not just a test for Ukraine. It is a test for the United States and for the free world. And the path toward greater security for all of us is simple: Help Ukraine win the war.”

Mik

Agreed.

Renauda

Not surprising but sobering all the same:

Putin is also counting on favorable changes in the global geopolitical landscape. Russia has openly welcomed the recent shift in international attention toward the Israel-Hamas conflict; there is good reason to expect this trend to continue in 2024 as global audiences and Western leaders grow increasingly tired of the war in Ukraine.

With the US entering an election year, many in Moscow anticipate that the current Western focus on Ukraine will diminish in the coming months. Putin would no doubt welcome a call from US President Joe Biden proposing some kind of grand bargain to end the war, but he is just as happy to wait until next November’s presidential ballot to see whether a potential new American leader may be prepared to offer even more favorable terms.

Full article:

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/putin-will-win-unless-the-west-finally-commits-to-ukrainian-victory/?mkt_tok=NjU5LVdaWC0wNzUAAAGPMNA3-_AbA4SfhwhvHNfF6lC-A6Bt7DrqLn9PxX4ySn3JJ8rMrOP-uHlNMZX1iI4HQlZo6covP4tgaI3c-bRyhxVq32CS1OHeKFt64pB-HVre