{"id":592065,"date":"2023-09-21T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/for-ukraine-defending-means-losing\/"},"modified":"2023-09-21T14:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T11:00:00","slug":"for-ukraine-defending-means-losing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/for-ukraine-defending-means-losing\/","title":{"rendered":"#For Ukraine, \u2018defending\u2019 means losing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/ZelenskyUN_AP.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>After 573 days of war, Washington still cannot decide if it really wants Ukraine to win. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDefending\u201d remains the watchword of the day.\u00a0Defense Secretary\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/Speeches\/Speech\/Article\/3529842\/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-at-the-15th-ukraine\/\">Lloyd Austin<\/a>\u00a0doubled-down on defense during the\u00a015th\u00a0Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting held at Ramstein air base in Germany on September 19<sup>,<\/sup>\u00a0where he called\u00a0upon allies to provide Ukraine with \u201cadditional air defense systems and interceptors\u201d \u2014 specifically, Patriot, IRIS-T, HAWK, NASAMS, SAMP\/T, and other air-defense systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>He opened the meeting by stating, \u201cAir defense is saving lives. So, I urge this group to continue to dig deep on ground-based air defense for Ukraine.\u201d He also emphasized the necessity for air defense to \u201cprotect Ukraine\u2019s critical infrastructure, including grain and energy supplies.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While that is all true, no amount of air defense is going to displace the\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/world\/top-us-general-russia-has-well-over-200-000-troops-in-occupied-ukraine\/ar-AA1gUrx4?ocid=msedgntp&amp;cvid=649220b6a5294537bdbf008c30f8bf11&amp;ei=142\">200,000 troops<\/a>\u00a0in occupied Ukraine that\u00a0Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> Mark Milley described in an interview with CNN on September 18. That will only be accomplished through offense.<\/p>\n<p>Air defense weapons will not\u00a0destroy or damage the Kerch Strait Bridge or any other\u00a0bridge sustaining\u00a0Russian forces on the Crimean Peninsula from Russia or\u00a0Russian occupied\u00a0southern Ukraine by ground transport or rail.  Nor will they affect the sea ports and airfields. Russia\u2019s ability to wage war will continue, unabated.<\/p>\n<p>Nor, significantly,\u00a0can\u00a0they affect Russia\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/united-states\/2023\/09\/06\/how-the-pentagon-assesses-ukraines-progress\">third defensive line<\/a> near the village of\u00a0Robotyne in\u00a0the\u00a0Zaporizhzhia\u00a0Oblast. Ukrainian Generals told the\u00a0Guardian\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>paper that \u201c80 percent of\u00a0Russia\u2019s effort went into building its first and second lines,\u201d\u00a0yet\u00a0Trent Maul, Director of Analysis for the Defense Intelligence Agency, cautions\u00a0that the\u00a0\u201cbulk of Russia\u2019s reinforcements remain at the third.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, Moscow has had\u00a0additional time to prepare hardened defensive positions and emplace anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, as it did along its first defensive line.<\/p>\n<p>No wonder\u00a0Milley referenced\u00a0a\u00a0\u201cvery high bar,\u201d\u00a0when warning\u00a0that a Ukrainian victory will take a \u201cvery long time.\u201d\u00a0It is a sad irony that the Biden Administration has made that bar higher by failing to greenlight\u00a0the weapons Ukraine needs for a decisive victory. But the irony\u00a0seems lost on the outgoing chairman.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Although they are welcome, additional air defense systems are not the path to a Ukrainian victory. Rather,\u00a0added\u00a0precision deep strike capabilities\u00a0are needed to render\u00a0the Crimean Peninsula\u00a0\u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/russia-ukraine-crimea-bridge-ben-hodges-zelensky-putin-1777516\">untenable<\/a>.\u201d President Joe Biden should heed\u00a0this very advice\u00a0from his\u00a0retired generals Jack Keane, David Petraeus and Ben Hodges.<\/p>\n<p>It has been nearly two weeks since\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/us-send-long-range-atacms-missiles-ukraine-time\/story?id=103031722&amp;fbclid=IwAR13692cAisy4BER4Z3wZ4HeR3CU-QZcj_HYiyKHj9H0JZbLPKs2uohN9VY\">ABC News <\/a>suggested that the Biden Administration was\u00a0considering supplying Ukraine with the Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS. President Joe Biden, in his\u00a0Tuesday\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/world\/2023\/09\/19\/president-joe-biden-speaks-at-united-nations-general-assembly\/70863321007\/\">address to the United Nations General Assembly<\/a>,\u00a0despite\u00a0Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in attendance, made no reference to ATACMS.\u00a0Instead, Biden\u00a0reiterated his call to world leaders to stand firm against \u201cnaked aggression,\u201d and once again \u201ccast solidarity with Ukraine in its war with Russia as a necessary step to deter other would-be aggressors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Like Austin\u2019s prepared comments\u00a0in Ramstein, there was also no mention of the word\u00a0\u201cwin.\u201d This, despite\u00a0a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense-national-security\/us-uk-case-ukraine-retaking-crimea\">senior State Department official\u00a0<\/a>telling\u00a0reporters on August 30\u00a0that, \u201cIt\u2019s very important that Ukraine win this war. And by \u2018win,\u2019 I mean as\u00a0President Biden\u00a0said, Russians leave all of Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>So what changed? Did\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/putins-nuclear-messaging-to-the-west\">Kim Jong Un\u2019s trip to Russia<\/a>\u00a0and the possibility of a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> exchange enabling North Korean nuclear delivery\u00a0capabilities\u00a0affect the\u00a0White House\u2019s\u00a0ATACMS\u00a0decision-making calculus?<\/p>\n<p>General George S.\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brainyquote.com\/quotes\/george_s_patton_125072\">Patton<\/a>\u00a0said it best: \u201cNobody ever defended anything successfully. There is only attack and attack and attack some more.\u201d\u00a0In\u00a0Ukraine, at a minimum, that\u00a0equates to ATACMS, F-16 fighter jets and HIMARS-delivered cluster munitions. It means <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/ukraine-gamechanger-himars-upgrade-win-war-dcipm-cluster-munitions-counteroffensive-artillery-1820071\">M26<\/a>\u00a0dual-purpose improved conventional munitions rockets supporting a push by Ukraine south toward the Sea of Azov and the Crimean Peninsula. <\/p>\n<p>Together with the Ukrainian\u00a0military\u2019s current capabilities,\u00a0these additional U.S. weapon systems and munitions, coupled with intelligence, can accelerate the liberation of Crimea\u00a0and all of Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Interdicting drones, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic missiles over the skies of Ukraine will not win the war.\u00a0Austin and Milley know this.\u00a0It is merely an extension of the attrition-based battle being waged on the ground, in the trenches \u2014 substituting soldiers for missiles, at an unsustainable cost. <\/p>\n<p>What wins the war is to strike the launch sites beyond Ukraine\u2019s borders; to destroy weapons systems that launch the drones and fire the missiles; to interdict munitions before they are fired; to destroy \u201cthird line\u201d defensive fortifications before the lead elements of the assault force arrive. <\/p>\n<p>The deep fight and interdiction of supply lines\u00a0are\u00a0what Ukraine so desperately needs to win this war.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cAir defense systems and interceptors\u201d are a critical and a necessary component of the solution to defend the lives of innocent civilians, critical infrastructure, and ground forces. But they will not expedite the outcome of the war. Bringing the war to a conclusion sooner will do more to meet Austin\u2019s objectives and save lives.<\/p>\n<p>Austin correctly asserts that, \u201cthe more Russia prolongs its war, the more glaring its cruelty becomes. Russia\u2019s assaults have increased far beyond the battlefield and inflicted untold human suffering.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Together with\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/europe\/putin-russia-troops-ukraine-mark-milley-b2414761.html\">Milley\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0comment that \u201cEjecting Russian soldiers from the entirety of Ukraine is going to take a long time and will be a very significant effort over a considerable amount of time,\u201d they serve to reinforce the necessity\u00a0of giving Zelensky and his generals the weapons and munitions they need to win the war now \u2014 not to simply \u201censure that Ukraine can deter future aggression and defend its sovereign territory.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>The words missing here are \u201curgency\u201d and \u201cwin.\u201d\u00a0In one breath, Austin\u00a0warns about\u00a0the hazards of a prolonged war, but in the next he says, \u201cSo make no mistake: we will stand by the Ukrainian people for the long haul.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Regrettably, there may not be a long haul for Ukraine.\u00a0Support for the war is trending downward in the U.S. According to a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/amp\/rcna105713?fbclid=IwAR3w31fYkv2t6rdGwuh-cDgSIcWiHN0cRA0aq_6IXJ6XhJTV2bhsYED7MbQ\">CNN poll<\/a>\u00a0last month, 51 percent believe \u201cthe U.S. has done enough to help Ukraine in the fight against Russia.\u201d When Russia first invaded in early 2022, the same poll showed 62 percent wanting the U.S. to do more for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>A former Biden Administration official told NBC News that \u201cBiden understands that time is short. I don\u2019t think he can sustain the level of funding for much longer. That\u2019s why you\u2019re seeing Zelensky [coming to] the White House. It\u2019s all about keeping the pressure up\u2026There\u2019s not a blank check here.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>If\u00a0Senator\u00a0Rand Paul\u00a0(R-Ky.) has his way, any funding bill to keep the government open past Sept. 30\u00a0will be held up if it includes funding for the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>The time is now for bold and decisive\u00a0White House\u00a0action and leadership.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JESweet2022\">Jonathan Sweet<\/a>, a retired Army Colonel and 30-year military intelligence officer, led the U.S. European Command Intelligence Engagement Division from 2012 to 2014.<\/em> <em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mobile.twitter.com\/mctothstl\">Mark Toth<\/a>\u00a0is an economist, entrepreneur, and former board member of the World Trade Center, St. Louis.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2023 Nexstar <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Media<\/a> Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/national-security\/4215112-for-ukraine-defending-means-losing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After 573 days of war, Washington still cannot decide if it really wants Ukraine to win. \u201cDefending\u201d remains the watchword of the day.\u00a0Defense Secretary\u00a0Lloyd Austin\u00a0doubled-down on defense during the\u00a015th\u00a0Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting held at Ramstein air base in Germany on September 19,\u00a0where he called\u00a0upon allies to provide Ukraine with \u201cadditional air defense systems and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":592066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/ZelenskyUN_AP.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134343,73014,124783,134351,71525,4975,134904,70289,70868],"class_list":["post-592065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-campaign","tag-health-care","tag-international","tag-morning-report","tag-national-security","tag-russia","tag-russia-ukraine-war","tag-senate","tag-ukraine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=592065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592065\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/592066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=592065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=592065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=592065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}