LOS ANGELES.–Invading Russia Aug. 9, Ukraine shocked the U.S. and NATO with its brazen move to seize some 100 square kilometers of Russian territory. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky feared he was losing domestic and foreign support for the war that has made little progress since the war began Feb. 24, 2022 retaking lost Ukrainian territory. Russia has taken some 20% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory in a war that promised in 2023 a mighty counteroffensive with U.S. and NATO weapons to expel Russian force from Ukrainian territory. Instead of ousting Russia as Zelensky promised by the end of 2023, he lost even more territory to the Kremlin. Now Zelensky faces an existential threat with 78-year-old President Donald Trump having the prospect of winning back the White House. Trump has said his first priority on taking office would be to end the Ukraine War.
All U.S. broadcast and print outlets support 81-year-old President Joe Biden’s proxy war with the Kremlin, where the U.S. feeds Ukraine cash-and-arms to battle Russia. Why the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and MSNBC all back Biden’s proxy war makes no sense. Biden has been exposed for all to see he’s cognitively impaired and not competent enough to know what he’s doing in Ukraine. So, why all the support from liberal media outlets for a reckless war that destroys Ukraine and threatens peace on the European Continent? Now Zelensky invades the Russian Kursk border region, with Kiev officials and Washington jumping up-and-down before 71-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin sends reinforcements to massacre Ukrainian troops. Russia will no doubt expel or kill all Ukrainian forces in its territory, leaving Ukraine far worse off.
Liberal media outlets have bought Biden and Zelensky’s narrative that the Ukraine War prevents Putin from seizing more territory in Europe. Putin has made clear in multiple interviews, including to former Fox New journalist Tucker Carlson, he has no intent of seizing more EU countries. He said clearly he wants the U.S. and NATO to stop encroaching on Russian national security by supplying unlimited arms to Ukraine. So when it comes to the Ukraine War, Biden and Zelensky have all but destroyed U.S.-Russian relations with decades of diplomacy, détente and arms control. How does the Ukraine War advance the cause of peace in Europe when Biden funds proxy war in Ukraine? Trump wants to bring warring factions together and work out a truce and peace plan. Why U.S. print and broadcast outlets support a reckless proxy war is anyone’s guess.
Zelensky accomplishes nothing by invading Russian territory other than escalating a war that has already seized 20% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory. When it comes to Ukrainian troops, how does the current mission do anything other than sacrifice more Ukrainian troops? New York Times says it increases morale in Ukraine, when Zelensky is having more trouble recruiting troops to continue battling Russia. How does watching another massacre of Ukrainian troops help morale? U.S. and NATO look at the incursion as a possible escalation of the war, not a future bargaining chip when Zelensky is forced to make concessions at future peace talks. Zelensky constantly worries about losing U.S. cash because his bankrupt Kiev government can’t pay government salaries, including his own, without U.S. financial help. Striking inside Russia only escalates the conflict.
Vice President Kamala Harris looks to continue the Biden policy of funding proxy war in Ukraine. Only Trump promises to end the conflict by pushing both parties to the peace table for a truce and peace talks. Zelensky invaded Russia to divert attention away from his failed counteroffensive, making the U.S. and NATO think he can threaten Putin ‘s Moscow regime. Zelensky has asked for even more weapons so he can escalate the war into a full-scale conflict, potentially prompting Putin to take more extreme measures, including using of tactical nuclear weapons. It’s only a matter of time before Zelensky deals with the full force of the Russian army in Kursk where his troops currently control some villages inside the Russian border. Zelensky thinks he can use his occupation in Russia to negotiate to have Putin remove his forces from sovereign Ukrainian territory.
Zelensky faces some big challenges holding on to Russian territory once reinforcements get to the Kursk region with orders to expel all Ukrainian troops. Gambling with the invasion, Zelensky shows his desperation to show he’s doing something, when the whole Russian invasion could backfire at anytime. Biden is in no position to continue escalating the conflict by encouraging Zelensky to continue the invasion before he loses more troops. Zelensky doesn’t reassure anyone invading Russia, only showing desperation because he’s made so little progress to oust Russian forces from Ukraine. If the U.S. had any leadership, they should tell Zelensky to stand down in Russia, removing his troops and working toward a truce and peace talks. Whatever temporary PR Zelensky got from the Russian invasion, it’s about to crater once Ukrainian forces face the Russian army.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
