Jared Baker, editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), argued on the 20th (local time) that the United States cannot continue to support Ukraine indefinitely, so it must persuade Ukraine to agree to a peace plan that would yield territory to Russia. Here is a summary of the article.
There are four parties to pay attention to the message that President Biden made during his visit to Ukraine.
First of all, there is Ukraine. The emphasis on continuing aid to Ukraine was timely. However, it was not enough to convey the message of cold-hearted realism that President Biden has been advocating for half a century. It is natural for Ukraine to defend its sovereignty, but it does not have the right to use U.S. money and resources indefinitely. Reports that China will support Russia only reinforce Ukraine’s idea of prolonging the war. Now is the time to convince Ukraine to end the war.
Russia will not give up most of the Crimean Peninsula and the Donbass region. Negotiations through some kind of territorial negotiations are necessary. It won’t live up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s last name, but it’s better than years of war.
Zelensky could be persuaded by presenting some kind of Marshall Plan for rebuilding Ukraine. Of course, care must be taken to ensure that US aid does not become a way to fill the pockets of wealthy Ukrainians.
It could also seek to get Ukraine into the European Union (EU) and even into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The second Russia should be kept in mind. Although Vladimir Putin is delusional, European empires have been permanently lost over the past two centuries. The situation in Ukraine worsened because they tried to revive the empire. But Putin is not an idiot. He has never touched a hair on the head of a soldier from a NATO member state. He should send a message to him not to misjudge us as weak-willed to keep the peace.
Third European allies. It is a very good thing that the West is united in supporting Ukraine. But here, too, a realistic judgment is needed. The alliance was led by the United States. While European countries don’t disparage their aid, the United States has played a major role in defending Europe for more than a century.
The war in Ukraine reaffirmed Europe’s inability to defend itself. Europe, which prioritizes economic interests over strategy, cannot defeat Russia on its own.
Biden needs to get his message across more directly. It is a message to decide whose side you are on in the confrontation between the United States and China. In other words, the next country to be invaded will not be saved with American dollars.
Above all, we need to send a clear message to Americans. It should be made clear that arms and funding to Ukraine have not weakened the US military and strategic confrontational posture with China. We can’t continue to support $100 billion a year without significantly increasing our defense budget, and without significantly increasing our munitions manufacturing capabilities.
President Biden should not be concerned about a weakening will to support Ukraine, but should calmly pursue peace to achieve the greater US goal.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.