Editors at National Review Online urge significant action from President Trump in a significant military conflict.
Since meeting Trump in Alaska, Vladimir Putin has made a mockery of the president’s attempts to broker a peace deal. Russia’s offensive in the Donbas grinds on, and Russia recently changed the law to allow reservists to perform “defensive tasks” in Ukraine, a provision that will undoubtedly be interpreted broadly. Despite denials from Havana, it appears that some thousands of Cubans have followed North Korea’s lead and have joined the fighting. Russia has a far larger population than Ukraine, and these latest moves only underline its ability to fight a war of attrition. …
… Trump is now publicly considering whether the U.S. should hand over these missiles (“I might say, ‘Look, if this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send Tomahawks.’”) This thinking aloud is clearly meant to deliver a message that the Tomahawks will be on their way if Russia does not sit down to serious talks soon. For such a message to be effective it will have to be clear that the decision to send the missiles could come at any time, certainly within weeks, not months. …
… If the threat of supplying the weapons isn’t enough to change Russia’s calculus, the U.S. should actually provide the missiles to Ukraine, albeit with conditions. Their use should be confined to clearly defined military or infrastructural targets. But Moscow, which routinely hits targets deep in Ukraine, shouldn’t be held harmless from attacks on its fuel depots, air bases, military production facilities, and the like that happen to be beyond the reach of Ukraine’s current capabilities.
So far, blandishments haven’t worked with Putin, and threats of sanctions and tariffs haven’t worked, either. Changing the dynamic on the battlefield might have an effect, though, and even if it doesn’t, we should want Ukraine to fight as effectively as possible against the Russian aggressor.
A lesson of the Gaza deal is that the beginning of diplomatic wisdom is backing our ally to the hilt, and Trump should do the same here.
