U.S. policy in Ukraine dumb and dumber

Just yesterday the U.S. reiterated its stance it is not seeking to promote a negotiated truce between Ukraine and Russia that could end their month long war. It also re-stated that the best help in can provide is to flood more weaponry into the war zone.

That is even dumber than the dumb U.S. policy since 2008 of dangling NATO membership to Ukraine, supporting a coup to topple the Russian leaning elected Ukraine president, then arming and training the new ultra nationalist government to fight the civil war ignited by that U.S. coup. Over 13,000 have been killed in the Donbass, mostly Russian speaking Ukrainians, in the 8 years since.

So while Russia’s war is illegal, immoral and criminal, dumb U.S. policies played a major provocation. Poke the beehive long enough, the bees will eventually attack.

But once the war started, U.S. policy got even dumber, if that was at all possible. Ukraine has no chance of prevailing militarily to drive out Russian forces. Based on their widely regarded poor performance, Russia will likely get bogged down in a Vietnam style insurgency that will bleed Russia endlessly.

Those are precisely conditions that make a negotiated settlement possible, and the 2 sides have been talking daily in Turkey brokered peace talks. But rather than praise Turkey’s efforts, the U.S. and the rest of NATO prefer MALT (More Arms, Less Talk). That may weaken Russia in the long term, but in the short term it will pile up more dead Ukrainians and more demolished buildings.

Dumb in Dumber in the movies was a comedy. U.S. Dumb and Dumber in Ukraine is a tragedy.