Peace activist Matt Hoh reviews Russo Ukraine war at 18 months

 Peace activist Matt Hoh reviews Russo Ukraine war at 18 months

Iraq war vet turned peace activist Matt Hoh addressed West Suburban Peace Coalition on the Russo Ukraine war at 18 months Tuesday on Zoom.

Hoh began by reviewing the terrible ravaging of Ukraine in this now protracted war: thousands of land mines, depleted uranium, unexploded cluster bombs, white phosphorus. If the war stopped today it would take decades to make Ukraine relatively safe again for its citizens.

He then discussed how both the Biden administration and its compliant media have greatly toned down reports of imagined Ukraine success and Russian failure, possibly even Russian collapse. It’s just not happening. The ballyhooed Ukraine counteroffensive has been a failure. Over $40 billion in US weaponry is not turning the war in Ukraine’s favor, much less ensuring victory. Much of it ends up in the wrong hands, is useless, or is quickly demolished on the battlefield.

But US/NATO support has created a stalemate that may have unintended consequences. A critical one is that stalemate does not end the killing that has reached several hundred thousand on both sides combined with no end in sight. Nor will stalemate end destruction of Ukraine as a viable country with a sustaining economy. It is on US/NATO life support and will be indefinitely.

Furthermore, stalemate raises possibility of internal collapse, more likely in Ukraine which is incurring virtually all the warfare and destruction. Such collapse could expand the already terrible Ukraine refugee problem.

What if the stalemate results in revolt and ouster of Putin? While many in the West might cheer, the result could install a greater military hardliner ratcheting up the war to unforeseen levels, possibly even involving nukes. Remember the truism: Be careful what you wish for.

Another ominous consequence could involve other countries entry into the war. Hoh mentioned Poland and Romania as possibilities. Sure enough, next day antiwar.com reported Polish military resources were heading to the border with Russian ally Belarus.

After all that gloom, did Hoh offer any positive thoughts? The major one, besides both Biden and US media going quiet about victory, is that most country leaders outside of US/NATO are calling for negotiations, negotiations, negotiations; not weapons, weapons, weapons. Hint, hint, President Joe?

Hoh concluded by posing the different views of Russia and the US on what can be negotiated. From Day 1 Russia has sought negotiations to resolve both their and Ukraine’s long term security interests. Call that a win-win…and both got close 16 months ago till the US sabotaged the ceasefire negotiations to weaken Russia.

For America it’s a zero sum game. No negotiations till Ukraine prevails on the battlefield. Since that will not happen, chances for a quick end to the Russo Ukraine war, and US proxy war against Russia…are blowing in the deadly wind.

All reactio