Advocates opposing Trunp’s easing Russian sanctions to buy Russia diesel will do nothing to prevent impending Ukraine collapse

 Advocates opposing Trunp’s easing Russian sanctions to buy Russia diesel will do nothing to prevent impending Ukraine collapse

Joel R. Levin and Mariya Dmytriv-Kapeniak got one thing very right and one very wrong in their Chicago Tribune commentary ‘President Donald Trump throws a lifeline to Vladimir Putin’.

In criticizing President Trump for easing sanctions on Russia to allow sales of Russian diesel to the US, they correctly argue the purchase “will have little, if any, effect on the price of diesel.” The ‘if any’ is much more likely. We don’t even know if one barrel of Russian diesel will arrive stateside to keep US diesel from hitting $7 a gallon.

That’s because Ukrainian Presisdent Zelensky has ignored Trump’s demand to stop bombing Russian oil refineries which may end the Russian surplus Trump covets. Another reason? Trump endlessly fanaticizes foreign deals to boost his electoral fortunes that never come to pass. How many times has he boasted about imaginary Iranian deals to submit to US victory in the Middle East?

What Levin and Dmytriv-Kapeniak get terribly wrong is that Trump’s easing of economic sanctions on Russia to purchase diesel “comes in the wake of newly authorized sanctions that have the potential to throttle the Russian war machine.”

When it comes to fantasy, Levin and Dmytriv-Kapeniak, like all those supporting Ukraine remaining in a war that is systematically destroying the Ukraine state, believe that economic sanctions will win the war.

That is nonsense. When Russia invaded Ukraine February 22, 2022, the US and NATO pledged the ‘Mother of all sanctions, but not one drop of US/NATO blood’ to achieve Ukraine victory. Russia simply retooled their economy to avoid Western sanctions and have created a massive war machine that is unstoppable.

With Ukraine nearing collapse, it’s time for Joel R. Levin and Mariya Dmytriv-Kapeniak, along with all well meaning supporters of Ukraine’s cause, to acknowledge that economic sanctions on Russia are utterly meaningless. They need to embrace Realpolitik…and leave fantasy to President Trump.

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL