If the west had supplied Ukraine with everything they needed and permission to use them exactly how they saw fit, the war most certainly would have been over in 2023.
Ukraine was forced to fight a much bigger aggressor with their feet glued to the floor and one arm tied behind their back! Now, with their own tools they can fight as they see fit and they are going to win.
I imagine that from this point forward, Ukraine will be the world leader in modern warfare and innovation and when they are able to rebuild Ukraine will be a leader in many civilian technologies and industries as well.
It is the same style of conflict management that crippled American decision making in Vietnam. If we blow up the pile of coal next to locomotives the North Vietnamese will know what we can do and won’t want to escalate. That or they will conclude their opponent is playing not to lose and an idiot. The Biden people may have had credentials but it seems clear they learned nothing. We would be better served if coal miners ran the responses.
Also, don’t forget how Obama mused about what he could do if he had the powers of the PRC leader for 24 hours. What ifs are a staple of human thinking. It doesn’t make Trump unique, it makes him something worse to his detractors, normal.
Right up front I need to say that I hated when Ukraine had their hands tied by the Biden administration. The war would have been so different if they hadn’t been constrained by Washington. Maybe the war would be over but Ukraine never would have broken free and found their own strength. That statement isn’t overlooking how awful this war has been, but now with Trump’s allegiance to Putin, Ukraine would have been overrun if they depended on the U S for support. In the meantime, look at all they have accomplished. They are battle hardened and they are winning against a country who doesn’t know how to have a life. Russia only knows how to be an aggressor. They won’t stop unless they are defeated.
An unanticipated outcome of Biden and Trump policies is that a totally new means of warfare has developed that is forcing everyone to reconsider how wars will be fought in the future
Wes, can you point us to the Medium articles that reinforce your point about the Biden administration being too timid? I don’t have the background to make an informed opinion & always assumed the threat was real.
For sure, Medium makes it extremely difficult to find old articles because it doesn't let the author categorize anything; everything is listed on my profile chronologically. Let me see if I can find some examples and I'll post them here!
If the west had supplied Ukraine with everything they needed and permission to use them exactly how they saw fit, the war most certainly would have been over in 2023.
Ukraine was forced to fight a much bigger aggressor with their feet glued to the floor and one arm tied behind their back! Now, with their own tools they can fight as they see fit and they are going to win.
I imagine that from this point forward, Ukraine will be the world leader in modern warfare and innovation and when they are able to rebuild Ukraine will be a leader in many civilian technologies and industries as well.
слава Україні🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
героям слава💛🙏🏻💙🙏🏻
It is the same style of conflict management that crippled American decision making in Vietnam. If we blow up the pile of coal next to locomotives the North Vietnamese will know what we can do and won’t want to escalate. That or they will conclude their opponent is playing not to lose and an idiot. The Biden people may have had credentials but it seems clear they learned nothing. We would be better served if coal miners ran the responses.
Also, don’t forget how Obama mused about what he could do if he had the powers of the PRC leader for 24 hours. What ifs are a staple of human thinking. It doesn’t make Trump unique, it makes him something worse to his detractors, normal.
Holy moley, this is great! I’ll put on a pot of coffee afterwhile - it’s going to be a long night. Props.
Right up front I need to say that I hated when Ukraine had their hands tied by the Biden administration. The war would have been so different if they hadn’t been constrained by Washington. Maybe the war would be over but Ukraine never would have broken free and found their own strength. That statement isn’t overlooking how awful this war has been, but now with Trump’s allegiance to Putin, Ukraine would have been overrun if they depended on the U S for support. In the meantime, look at all they have accomplished. They are battle hardened and they are winning against a country who doesn’t know how to have a life. Russia only knows how to be an aggressor. They won’t stop unless they are defeated.
An unanticipated outcome of Biden and Trump policies is that a totally new means of warfare has developed that is forcing everyone to reconsider how wars will be fought in the future
Wes, can you point us to the Medium articles that reinforce your point about the Biden administration being too timid? I don’t have the background to make an informed opinion & always assumed the threat was real.
Okay Brian, here's a few I found:
Where is Putin’s Nuclear Red Line? (May 9, 2022) — early piece directly tied to Putin’s red lines and Biden-era escalation concerns. https://wesodonnell.medium.com/where-is-putins-nuclear-red-line-db723b61665f
The U.S. is About to Fall into Putin’s Trap (September 30, 2022) — focused on nuclear signaling and the danger of escalation logic driving U.S. choices. https://wesodonnell.medium.com/the-u-s-is-about-to-fall-into-putins-trap-4472a89b2d49
Would Ukraine Fall Without U.S. Weapons? — people in the Biden administration worried Ukraine would use bigger weapons to strike inside Russia and trigger escalation. https://wesodonnell.medium.com/would-ukraine-fall-without-u-s-weapons-2fcfda9ef6cb
Ukraine Will Finally be Getting the ATACMS Long-Range Missile System — the administration had been hesitant to provide long-range missiles out of fear of escalation and strikes inside Russia. https://wesodonnell.medium.com/ukraine-will-finally-be-getting-the-atacms-long-range-missile-system-8d369e1146db
The Only “Exit Strategy” for Ukraine is Survival — says U.S. guardrails were designed so Putin couldn’t claim Washington was directly facilitating strikes on Russian soil. https://wesodonnell.medium.com/quit-saying-we-need-an-exit-strategy-in-ukraine-a3bdd1865ee8
Russia Has Military Targets in the Open and Ukraine Can’t Touch Them (May 29, 2024) — probably my clearest article on the exact issue: Biden restrictions, fear of escalation, and the ban on using U.S. weapons on Russian territory. https://wesodonnell.medium.com/russia-has-military-targets-in-the-open-and-ukraine-cant-touch-them-500e95250f6a
Do Russia’s Nukes Actually Still Work? (September 19, 2024) — https://wesodonnell.medium.com/do-russias-nukes-actually-still-work-1a44d99ad6c3
The CIA Has Been Helping Ukraine Target Russian Oil (January 2, 2026) — fear of escalation prolonged the war. https://wesodonnell.medium.com/the-cia-has-been-helping-ukraine-target-russian-oil-7806b2386487
What Happened to Ukraine’s ATACMS? — looks back at Biden finally giving the green light for ATACMS into Russian territory, after long delay. https://wesodonnell.medium.com/what-happened-to-ukraines-atacms-6d4d89a643f5
For sure, Medium makes it extremely difficult to find old articles because it doesn't let the author categorize anything; everything is listed on my profile chronologically. Let me see if I can find some examples and I'll post them here!