At the Center for European Policy Analysis Kurt Volker is outraged by what isn’t on the agenda of the NATO Summit:
One might think, therefore, that at the July 9-11 gathering of NATO heads of state and government — a meeting marking 75 years of the world’s most successful military alliance — the number one issue would be the plan for victory and the restoration of peace in Europe.
One would be wrong. There will be no talk of doing whatever it takes to win the war, of defeating Putinism, and of inviting Ukraine to join NATO as quickly as possible. Instead, the summit has already been pre-planned to take only modest, incremental steps to support Ukraine, while deliberately avoiding the most fundamental questions.
This low bar was set and rigorously enforced by the United States and Germany, despite pleas for a more robust posture by several NATO allies. Washington and Berlin have made it clear that the key goal is not to provoke Putin and to avoid escalation. His defeat is still not the objective.
Mr. Volker has his own proposals:
The remedy to all these fears would be for the NATO summit to send a clear and unambiguous message to Vladimir Putin that despite the uncertainties in American leadership, NATO has the strength, resolve, and resources organized behind a clear plan to ensure Ukrainian victory, Russian defeat, and the restoration of peace in Europe.
Ideally, NATO would make clear it will give Ukraine everything required to expel the Russian invader, with no restrictions on the types of weapons provided or their use, other than conforming to international law.
Allies should establish a massive fund for expanding defense industrial production and procuring supplies for Ukraine, based on established NATO cost-share formulae. Allies should provide direct assistance in extending air defenses over western and southwestern Ukraine. Allies should assist with demining and guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. And NATO should begin the process of admitting Ukraine as a member, just as the European Union has done by opening accession talks with Ukraine.
Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have all been roiled by political unrest recently. In which of those countries were the voters upset that their governments weren’t providing enough aid to Ukraine? If you guess “none”, you would be right.
If, when the shooting starts, how far away will they be?
Another toddler throwing a tantrum.
I know it is unfair, but I am tired of this world. He and everybody like him can have it. I doubt they will enjoy what they have sown.
Putin/Russia is not the problem. Volker and his warmongering ilk are. In a country of laws, he would be in a cage in Gitmo.
The US started the Ukrainian war when it attacked the legitimate, democratically elected Yanukovych government and installed the current Nazi junta. Ironically, Zelenskyy’s fake Presidency has run out as his term expired a little while ago. Of course, he has been ruling by fiat throughout his regime’s existence.
Volker is typical of the criminals who have controlled the US for a very long time. War is their preferred mode of operation. Since 1945, there have been some 250 wars, and the US started 200 of them, and always against countries at peace with the US and its allies. That includes both Iraq wars.
The US history of expansionist imperial wars goes back to 1607. War is in our social DNA. What Volker and his ilk are trying for is WW III. They will get it, and the US will be reduced to a waste land.