STOP THE MONSTER !

Military attacks cannot be stopped by UN resolutions. Military attacks cannot be stopped by so-called diplomacy. Sadly, the response of the Western liberal democracies falls short of what is clearly required to stop the monster of Moscow from achieving his goal of taking over Ukraine and returning it to domination by Russia. Diplomacy, while important will not solve the problem. Setting up facilities to handle the over 2.5 million refugees who have fled the country is important, but will not solve the problem. History has taught us that force must be met with force and the West may have no choice but to go to war with Russia if the free world is to retain its freedom.

There is doubt the war is abhorrent. There is no doubt that when thinking about going to war and realizing that, as a result, we in the West run the risk of being displaced ourselves, our minds turned to diplomacy. However, reasoning with someone who has a loaded weapon at your head defies logic.

What is at stake here is nothing less than our right to live in a civilized world, where nations observe international norms and recognize the sovereignty of others. When that standard is breached, it must be neutralized at the earliest possible moment. We may have to put everything we have at risk in order to retain as much of everything we have.

Sadly, the longer the West waits to react in kind, the more difficult it will be to stop the Russian attempt at world domination. We need to remember that Putin is willing to go a great deal further in pursuing his ambitions that elected democratic leaders- a fact that he knows, and which he believes gives him a key advantage in his confrontation with the West. He is willing to march up to the very edge of a general war in Europe or perhaps cross that line. He is even willing to put the Russian people through extreme material deprivation.

Intelligent people know that eventually a war will need to be fought. If the choice is made now to do nothing militarily, there will be another Ukraine and Europe will descend into the kind of chaos that has not been seen since World War II.

To ensure democracy, we have to put ourselves at risk. Every tool at the disposal of the West needs to be used to stop the wanton destruction of Ukraine, which did nothing to justify the Russian invasion. That includes not only extensive economic sanctions but also the physical destruction of Russia’s war machine, at least to the extent that it will cripple the country’s capability to supply its troops in Ukraine with provision and supplies.

The issue is not whether we stop Putin. It is when we stop him. The time is now. The US must have the same level of courage and resolve it displayed in the past when allies cried for help and US national interest was threatened. From Presidents Roosevelt and Truman during the Second World War to President Kennedy during the Cuban missile crisis to President Reagan during the Cold War, US leaders have made tough decisions and taken tough action.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine are fighting not just to keep Ukraine free, but for all of us. They are standing up for the principles of freedom, democracy, and human decency. The US and European allies should do the same.

Options to consider

1. Launch cyberattack (s) on Russian military forces
2. Engage in Special Operations Forces (SOF) advising missions inside Ukraine
3. Engage in Special Operations Forces (SOF) direct action missions inside Ukraine
4. Organize humanitarian assistance operations inside Ukraine
5. Send unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Ukraine
6. Transfer electronic-warfare systems to Ukraine
7. Transfer counter-fire systems to Ukraine
8. Transfer advanced air-defense-systems to Ukraine (close-in weapons system 
9. Transfer advanced air-defense systems to Ukraine (Iron Dome)
10. Transfer advanced air-defense system to Ukraine (Patriot missile system)
11. Establish an airlift of humanitarian supplies into Lviv, Ukraine
12. Establish an international squadron(s) to fly for the Ukrainian Air Force
13. Establish and enforce a no-fly zone