Chicago Tribune Putin editorial is both wishful thinking and dangerous denial

 

Its title is long and hyperbolic: ‘Putin talks menacingly of nukes. These are desperate threats from a despot on the ropes.’

Unfortunately, the Trib is engaged in wishful thinking that Ukraine is winning while Russia is losing the Russo Ukraine war. That represents denial of both facts on the ground and the stark potential nuclear war may occur.

Claiming Ukraine’s determination to resist has led to “victory after victory on the battlefield” is delusional. In 213 days, Ukraine launched one counteroffensive, regaining about 2% of the 20% of conquered territory, while sacrificing 5,000 soldiers in their faint to the south to retake Kharkiv.

The Trib is in denial that Ukraine is now an economically and militarily failed state, utterly dependent on endless US and NATO billions just to function. How endless? Over $60 billion so far on way to a hundred billion by year end. Will our proxy war against Russia using only Ukrainians as cannon fodder be America’s next trillion dollar war?

The Trib is in denial that Western Europe will stick with the endless weapons regime when major recession and energy shortages may make their upcoming winter unlivable, provoking major unrest.

The Trib is in denial when it claims Putin’s invasion, tho criminal and unnecessary, wasn’t provoked by the US since 2008 when we floated eventual NATO membership to Ukraine. That provocation accelerated wildly after we helped anti-Russian Ukrainians depose Russian friendly but democratically elected Ukraine president Victor Yanukovych in 2014

The Trib’s most serious, potentially catastrophic denial, is that Putin may be bluffing when he says nuclear weapons may be used should Russia be attacked. Citing unnamed “analysts” as holding that view before offering the possibility Putin is serious, the Trib goes with the first opinion, urging endless weapons instead of sensible negotiations which could provide by Ukraine and Russia an off ramp from war. If the Trib weren’t in denial about Putin’s history, they would know he does not bluff. He didn’t in 2014 when he seized the Crimea to safeguard the Russian naval base as Sevastopol after the US supported coup. He didn’t bluff when he told the US last December that Ukraine NATO membership was an existential red line that would provoke a Russian response. Why the Trib would surmise Putin is bluffing on nuclear weapons is astounding.

We in the peace community reject endless billions for a futile proxy war getting only Ukrainians killed, fostering economic meltdown and possibly triggering nuclear war. We know only negotiations leading to a truce and peace agreement have any chance of success. Time for the Trib to get on the Peace Train instead of hitching their editorial stance to another endless US war.