I reamin unconvinced by Michael McCaul’s argument at The National Interest that the United States should be providing more military and security aid to Ukraine:
The free and fair election in Ukraine of new President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky reflects a positive step for Ukraine’s democratic future, but the same challenges from Russia remain. There is still the looming cloud of Ukraine’s active military conflict with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, as well as ongoing efforts by the Kremlin to sow discord and chaos through sophisticated disinformation and propaganda campaigns against the Ukrainian government and society. If we want to deal a blow to Russia, then helping challenge Putin on his doorstep sends a strong signal that America will stand by its allies wherever they are.
Moscow continually ignores international law and the Minsk Accords by actively supporting the rebels in Eastern Ukraine and maintains its illegal control of Crimea while also blockading Ukrainian ports from vital commerce. More importantly, Russia’s November 2018 attack on the Ukrainian Navy in the Sea of Azov occurred in neutral waters and in clear violation of freedom of navigation. While the imposition of sanctions on the Russian officials responsible for these acts by the administration on March 15 are having an impact, the biggest blow to Russia is the continuation of a free, independent, and democratic Ukraine.
I think he’s getting ahead of himself. Let the new president of Ukraine demonstrate that his government isn’t a kleptocracy as every previous Ukrainian government has been.
I understand Russia’s interest in Ukraine. Ukraine was a part of Russia for hundreds of years. The port at Sevastopol is one of Russia’s very few warm water ports. Ukraine has a sizeable Russian population.
And I understand that U. S. support for Ukraine threatens Russia. I don’t understand why threatening Russia is an objective of American foreign policy. What? We have always been at war with Eastasia?
