U.S. involvement in the Ukraine –My 2 cents…

The current crisis in the Ukraine is catching a lot of media attention. Everyone seems to be waiting to see what President Obama is going to do. Just how involved is the United States going to become and how much support are we going to provide the “democratic” movement? 

Part of a good strategy is knowing where, and where not, to make a stand or get in a fight. The Ukraine is not a place for us to make a stand. 

The simple fact is that Putin is not going to let the Ukraine slip too far away from Russian influence and control. He’s been saying that very clearly the past week by staging military maneuvers on the border, having Russian warships patrolling the Crimean coast, sending Russian troops to occuy stratigic points in the Crimea and allowing the ousted President to hold news conferences safely in Russia. 

Our best strategy in this case is to recognize that there is very little direct action we can take. We should not do anything which will simply give Putin another opportunity to make us look weak. 

President Obama said on Friday that Russian actions would "have a cost". What cost? Putin knows there is little we can do and our President has no interest in doing anything beyond giving a speech or two. -And the important point here (one which President Obama has not yet learned) is that when you tell the world that "doing something wll have a cost", or there is a "line which must not be crossed", you must back it up or the next time you say it, no one will pay attention.

What we can and should do is support the EU and the UN in monitoring the situation and putting pressure on Putin to keep him from turning the Russian military loose on the Ukrainians and then setting up a puppet dictatorship on what's left. 

We have enough other places to worry about right now –Iran’s nuclear ambitions, civil war in Syria, our withdrawal from Afghanistan, Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, massacres of Christians by Muslims worldwide…… We don’t need to get overly involved in the Ukraine. It would be a mistake (and we’ve made enough of those lately). 

Thank you. I feel better now. See, I told you it was only 2 cents worth…. 

Today’s Reflection: 

When some people open their mouths it is only to change their feet.

 

 

 

Live Long and Prosper…