It’s now apparent that unless strong actions are taken to deter him, Vladimir Putin intends to proceed with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Yet no such deterrent is being offered. The Biden administration has agreed to ship $200 million worth of military equipment to Ukraine, which is certainly welcome. But that figure is about what it costs to build a nice shopping mall. It’s not remotely sufficient to equip a country to defend itself against an invasion by the Russian army.
It is simply a repetition of comparable levels of support the US has sent Ukraine annually since 2014. Not to be outdone, Germany is sending 5,000 helmets and a field hospital!
The possibility of any effective economic deterrent has also been ruled out. The German government appears to be saying that Putin needs to be given a free hand to slaughter and subjugate Ukrainians, because otherwise he might cut off Germany’s natural gas supplies. Some other NATO leaders have accepted this position. Accordingly, Ukraine is in danger of being sacrificed.
