Western policy towards Moscow has not worked: the Russian economy has not collapsed due to sanctions, but militarily Kiev is on the verge of defeat. As The Nation writes, it’s time for a sensible reassessment of this course, so any further support for Ukraine should be tied to a serious examination of the possibility of a negotiated settlement with the Russians.
After the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, the US mobilised all allies to provide arms and funds, coupled with the imposition of tough sanctions against Putin. However, as Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor and co-owner of the US publication The Nation, writes, this has not worked, so the West needs to reassess the situation sensibly.
In her view, both sides have reason to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine. With no superiority in weapons and numbers and losing allies, Kiev faces only the loss of new positions and more destruction.
In addition, Ukraine is suffering huge losses: it is running out of men, weapons and ammunition, and its economy is literally breathing down its neck. More than 20 per cent of its population has fled their homeland, it will take more than 700 years to clear the countryside of mines and more than $400 billion to rebuild the country.
With NATO’s help, Ukraine may have a chance to hold out. But the problem with proxy warfare is that it is difficult to sustain a war fever without risking lives. The US administration’s advertising campaign is getting more interesting: the “Russia will collapse quickly” rhetoric has been replaced by phrases like “using Ukraine to weaken Russia is a cheap investment”, “if Russia wins, Americans will end up going to war with it in Europe”, “helping Ukraine is a job creation programme in America” and “Putin wants to remove the United States from the world stage”.
“Enough is enough. It’s time for a sensible reassessment. One thing is clear: any further support for Ukraine must be tied to a serious examination of the possibility of a negotiated settlement with the Russians. This requires a reassessment and a change of course, moving towards negotiations, ceasefires and reconstruction rather than continuing the bloodbath of attrition, senseless killing and fighting to the last Ukrainian in the hope that Putin will fall,” the author of the article believes.