Most Important News Photo From February 8th, 2023, The West Has Vested Interests In Defeating Putin

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy

While much of the nation ruminated over the disgusting rancor and deep embarrassment caused by some despicable Republicans at the State of the Union Address the international community was paying attention to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.  While conservative Republicans needed to explain away the truly monkey-like behavior from some of their caucus, the world was focused on Ukraine’s mission of “wings for freedom”. Leadership abroad and the severe lack of it within the GOP were on full display.

The pacing of sending the needed military weapons to the forces in Ukraine who are fighting with courage and success has been a concern on this blog for the past year.  There is no doubt that sending combat aircraft to help turn the tide against Russia’s offensive is a vital and essential aspect in the defense of a nation that underscores what can happen when the international order is threatened by an autocrat. Whatever reluctance remains to take that step with military aircraft, just as the case with top-grade tanks, must be removed sooner rather than later. 

I have been concerned with the stodgy process, as any reasoned person would be, regarding high-end military hardware getting to the places where it can do the best in reclaiming territory taken by Russian soldiers. While I applaud the promise from Britain to train Ukrainian fighter pilots to fly “sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets” I am mindful of the troubling end of that sentence being “in the future”.  As noted in this blog, the process of consideration and study within the White House and among the Western powers requires some modification to meet the real-time needs of the Ukrainian soldiers who are doing the work on the battlefield.

Our nation has a vested interest, a “national interest” using the parlance from the days of my youth when the Cold War was raging, to use our international power to help defeat Russian President Putin’s efforts to re-vision the geo-political map.  I recall the words from my history teacher who fled Europe for these shores as Hitler came to power.  She made it clear that President Franklin Roosevelt did not beef up his moves on Europe due to a real threat to our homeland, but his awareness of what happens due to a real threat to the destruction of the liberal order of governments and world order should tyrants’ rule.  I suppose my views opposing illiberal moves that now are seen in places from Italy to Hungary, etc., started in that classroom with those real-world conversations.  

Our national interest today, as we stand with Ukraine is to defend a sovereign nation against a military threat from a thug who would not stop at the destruction of one nation.  And with that destruction is the dagger that would rip into the heart of the liberal world order.  Ukraine must have the military jets they need to fight today, so to prevent a larger disaster upon the world.