Kurt Volker: it's time for urgency, not complacency, with Ukraine vs. Russia

Kurt Volker is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA.) For quite some time, Amb. Volker has been "a leading expert in US foreign and national security policy." Further, he served as a "US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations from 2017-2019 and as US Ambassador to NATO from 2008-2009." That's quite the resume.

Today, Amb. Volker wrote an op-ed titled "Urgency Must Replace Complacency in West’s Ukraine Policy." Praise the Lord and ship the ammunition and fighter jets into Ukraine. It's time we treated this like a perfect opportunity to topple a nuclear power, which is exactly what this opportunity is.

Early in the op-ed, Amb. Volker writes "Speaking just ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western leaders at the Munich Security Conference voiced a commitment to Ukraine 'for as long as it takes' (although no one says what “it” is.) President Biden echoed the phrase in Kyiv." While I'm happy to hear about Europe's and NATO's commitment to Ukraine, I'm upset that there doesn't appear to be a commitment to defeating Putin.

On Ukraine, I'm not a Trumpite. Trump is ok having Russia as a limited partner. I'm a Reaganite. President Reagan isn't ok with having Russia as a limited partner. I remember what President Reagan said when asked what his strategy was towards toward the Soviet Union. Here's what he said:

Here's my strategy on the Cold War: we win, they lose.

Volker continues with a harsh admonition:

And yet there seems to be a growing sense of satisfaction in the West that as a result of Western military aid over the past year, Ukraine has survived. There is a glow of accomplishment, that despite initial fears Ukraine would be defeated within days, now, after a year of Western support, Ukraine is standing strong.

Of course, this is true. Ukraine is standing strong, thanks to Western support and the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people. But the tone of satisfaction is dangerous: it reflects a failure to appreciate the urgency of the situation, a failure to learn from mistakes made over the past year, and a failure to answer some very tough questions about the future.

This can't turn into Afghanistan 2.0. It's time to seize the initiative and finish off Putin.

Western military aid seems to lack a sense of urgency — as though having gotten Ukraine this far, we can now continue as is. Yet continuing “as is” means unacceptable human and economic costs to Ukraine. This must change in the wake of President Biden’s visit. It is time to commit to Ukraine’s victory, and provide all the means necessary.

Urgency, not complacency, must become the West's battle cry. This isn't a fight to help Ukraine survive. That's wrongheaded thinking. Ukraine's troops have outclassed Russia's military. It's time to win, not survive. It's time to Change Europe for the next 15-25 years. BTW, this is what an adult-in-the-room sounds like:

Learning the Wrong Lessons

When Russia launched its all-out invasion on February 24, most observers believed that its forces were highly capable, well-organized, and would defeat Ukrainian forces in a matter of days. Most thought the Ukrainians could not defend themselves. Both judgments were spectacularly wrong: Russian forces are massive but decrepit, and Ukrainian forces are more capable and motivated.

It's time to stop treating Russia like they're a superpower. They're a nuclear power, not a superpower. Russia's economy disappears when there's an oil glut. (Why isn't the U.S. increasing oil and natural gas production instead of cutting oil and natural gas production?)

The longer Biden restricts oil and natural gas production, the longer the Russia-Ukraine war lasts. The longer between U.S. shipments of aircraft, tanks and advanced lethal weaponry, the longer this war lasts. It's time for some urgency from the Biden administration.