Biden inexplicably urges Ukraine not to be so effective fighting against Russia

Bad decisions continued in Washington this week, and Ukraine continues to pay the price.

by financial timesthe Biden administration, in response to Ukraine’s drone attack, 12 refineries In Russia, it called on Ukraine to halt attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure and warned that drone attacks risked driving up global oil prices and triggering retaliation.

As a result, the White House appears more focused on keeping global and domestic oil prices below $85 in an election year than on preventing revenues from financing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

To date, Bloomberg News estimates that Kiev has been destroyed. 12 percent of Russia’s refinery capacityincluding an attack on the St. Petersburg oil terminal located 900 kilometers deep in Russia.

It is foolish to ask Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his generals to stop attacking Russia’s wartime energy capabilities. Militarily speaking, it is also doctrinally unsound. During World War II, Allied forces began bombing the Nazi German oil refinery in Ploiesti, Romania in 1942, and the attacks continued unabated until the end of the war in May 1945. I did. This was the key to winning the war, as the German army’s ability to supply fuel was destroyed. Tanks, fighter jets, bombers, armored vehicles, supply trucks.

To win the war, Ukraine must likewise reduce the Kremlin’s ability to supply troops, ammunition, and weapons to the front lines in Donbass and Crimea.

What has changed in Washington? “”Paypoutin tax” was acceptable when used politically to explain the 2022 inflation spike. But paying a “Zelensky tax” on gasoline in a Biden re-election year is clearly unacceptable.

This is a terrible take on the Biden administration, which is prioritizing gas money over the lives and sovereignty of Ukrainians. The White House has not issued any condemnation regarding the recent Russian violence. Attacks by cruise missiles and drones On civilian targets and energy infrastructure in Ukraine (power plants, energy supply lines, power grids, hydropower plants). Not only are Ukrainian cities like Kiev, Odessa, Kharkov, and Zaporizhia under daily Russian attack, but so are civilians.

President Zelenskiy is fighting back with hand-held drones. And he is attacking Russia where it hurts. He attacks the Kremlin’s global means of financing Putin’s wars.

This is not the only self-defeating White House policy decision in Ukraine. This election year self-serving decision is second only in its illogic to White House decisions such as: Change HIMARS Therefore, it could not be used to fire long-range missiles at Russia. Biden continues to withhold critical weapons and ammunition needed to fight and win the war while discouraging Ukraine from winning strategies.

Biden’s success in November is about more than saving Ukrainian lives.

After 25 months of sustained combat operations in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military is clear on its doctrine and tactics. We are going to annihilate Ukraine. However, the United States and NATO have stopped short of enabling Ukraine to effectively counter or defeat Russia. Rather, it provides enough for Ukraine to survive with a losing defense-focused strategy.

There is no plan yet to defeat Russia.US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin The United States stated the following at the beginning of the 20th Ukraine Defense Liaison Group meeting in Ramstein, Germany on March 19: “The United States will not fail Ukraine. This coalition will not fail Ukraine.” But they will fail unless they are given the weapons necessary to defeat and force the Russian military out of Ukraine. And defensive weapons cannot accomplish that mission.

As the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government continue to stalemate over funding to Ukraine, President Zelenskiy turned to countries to secure unilateral security agreements. To date, this has been achieved in seven countries: the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Italy, and the Netherlands. These agreements with Poland and Romania are currently being finalized.

This will be joined by the U.S.-led Ukrainian Defense Liaison Group and the artillery coalition led by France and the Czech Republic.A coalition is underway for armor and drones War, Air Force, Maritime Security, Ground Air Defense, Mine Clearance, Information Technology Capabilities.

However, the West’s stated objective is to “build a future Ukrainian military capable of deterring Russian aggression in the long term.” President Putin is well beyond the point where deterrence is possible. For Ukraine, the choice is now win or perish.

Up until now, the Russian military has repeatedly failed on the battlefield, accumulating astonishing military results. 437,390 casualties in the process. But its ground forces continue to advance with overwhelming force and mass force.

With ammunition dwindling for close combat, Ukraine is under pressure to attack strategic targets to weaken Russia. The 800,000 cannons secured by the Czech Republic will help close the fight and kill many Russians, but Putin will only find more warm bodies to put in his uniform.

Russia plans to win, but it probably won’t be just in Ukraine. newsweek Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported that Russia plans to launch two more warlord coalitions and “14 divisions and 16 brigades” by the end of 2024. In addition to it, two armies It will be activated in 2023, and fighting is already taking place in Ukraine.

Western countries have no effective response. Ukraine has it, but the White House doesn’t like it.

Washington and Brussels need to make better decisions. Putin has no intention of giving up, so nothing more of the same will work.

Colonel (retired) Jonathan Sweet He served as a military intelligence officer for 30 years. mark toth He writes about national security and foreign policy.