FLASH
Shkruar nga Thomas Friedman
And make no doubt, if we were to simply hand over Ukraine, Putin's next destination could be the Baltic states or Poland. But both are in NATO, which means we are obliged under Article 5 of the NATO treaty to protect them with our soldiers and treasure. So handing over Ukraine right now might be one of the most expensive things we can do.
I have a suggestion for Trump's next party fundraising scheme. You know how sports memorabilia stores sometimes sell autographed basketballs from an entire NBA team? Well, I was imagining that Donald Trump could sell $1,000 white flags that say, "We turned Ukraine over to Russia," autographed by him and the MAGA House and Senate members he's assembled to deny the Ukrainians the weapons they need to escape Vladimir Putin's attacks.
For an extra $500, you can get a white flag autographed by Trump and JD Vance and emblazoned with Vance's immortal words: I don't care what happens to Ukraine.
Or one signed by House Speaker Mike Johnson: I was for Ukraine aid while I was against it, but I might be for it again if Trump is not against it. This is a matter of principle for me. Either way, it's all Biden's fault.
And then the last collector's item.
For an additional $1,000, a giant white surrender flag, made of the softest Sea Island cotton, signed by Lindsey Graham, which reads: "I renounced the principles of John McCain and a free Ukraine because Trump told me. But I did get a round of golf at the Trump course in West Palm Beach. Can I still be on Meet the Press?”
The ultimate gift comes with a pair of Trump's brand new tennis shoes, guaranteed by Trump and personally tested by Graham to be the fastest shoes on the market to run away from any ally or foe – or anything of principle that you ever said
The possibilities are endless because the Trump Party has become endless. She now manifests an endless willingness to engage in any form of backstabbing and backstabbing to stay in his good graces, no matter how mean, selfish, or un-American his request.
Trump decides to abandon Ukraine? Goodbye, Zelensky.
I have never seen so many people, in one party, behave with so little respect for themselves or the interests of the nation at the same time.
Let's take a look at Ukraine. I am not for an endless war in Ukraine. We should always investigate the possibility of a negotiated settlement between Kiev and Moscow. This year has shown America and Europe two things: The West cannot and will not continue to pour money into Ukraine to finance a stalemate, and an outright victory by Ukraine or Russia seems more remote than ever.
But the way to reach a decent solution is not by cutting off aid to Kiev, an approach that many House Republicans and some Senate colleagues are essentially advocating. This is not only embarrassing, but also strategically insane. The only way to reach an agreement, which is in the interest of Ukraine and in the interest of the West, is by reaffirming our military and economic assistance to Kiev, redoubling diplomacy to end the war.
But ending wars is always a complicated matter. There will have to be some difficult compromises on both sides.
For me, this means, at the very least, that Ukraine emerges from this war with a clear path to membership in the European Union. If Ukraine, with its advanced military, giant agricultural basket and booming new technology sector, can one day be accepted into the EU, it makes Europe more whole and free.
And if the price of this is that Ukraine has to give up some of its eastern Russian-speaking provinces, we will deal with it, because a Ukraine in the European Union, even without some of its eastern provinces, would become a real power.
Putin's Russia, not so much. Putin may be aiming to put a nuclear weapon in space and spend over $100 billion on the war in Ukraine, but as his infrastructure on the ground crumbles, more and more Russians are freezing at home this winter.
No good deal for Ukraine will be possible if we let Trump and his party cut off aid to Kiev now.
And make no doubt, if we were to simply hand over Ukraine, Putin's next destination could be the Baltic states or Poland. But both are in NATO, which means we are obliged under Article 5 of the NATO treaty to protect them with our soldiers and treasure. So handing over Ukraine right now might be one of the most expensive things we can do.
Siç vuri në dukje Alexander Gabuev, drejtori i Qendrës Carnegie Russia Eurasia, së fundmi për Putinin në The Financial Times: “Pa kontrolle mbi aftësinë e tij për të bërë gabime fatale, një sundimtar rus i moshuar, mund të ndërmarrë lëvizje më të pamatura në vitet e ardhshme se çdo gjë që kemi parë deri tani. Nëse Kremlini beson se asnjë fuqi e madhe perëndimore nuk ka burimet dhe vullnetin për të luftuar për aleatë të vegjël si shtetet baltike, mund të tundohet të testojë angazhimin e Nenit 5 të NATO-s për mbrojtjen kolektive. Sidomos kur retorika e Trump “krijon një iluzion të rrezikshëm se Amerika nuk do të ndërhynte nëse Putin përdor forcën ushtarake për të ndarë NATO-n”, shtoi ai.
Ne po shikojmë dy shkolla të politikës së jashtme të SHBA-së duke luajtur mbi Ukrainën. Njëra është qasja klasike e fuqisë së madhe amerikane, e udhëhequr nga një president i cili u rrit në Luftën e Ftohtë dhe i ndërtuar mbi një themel të vlerave dhe interesave amerikane që na kanë shërbyer mirë që kur hymë në Luftën e Dytë Botërore: Ne dhe aleatët tanë do të negociojmë me Putin, por vetëm nga pozita e forcës, jo dobësisë. Dhe forca jonë rrjedh jo vetëm nga paratë dhe armët tona, por edhe nga fakti që Biden ka qenë në gjendje të krijojë një koalicion perëndimor për Ukrainën, i cili dhjetëfishon fuqinë tonë dhe të aleatëve tanë.
Trump, në të kundërt, shpesh sillet sikur të mësonte punët e tij botërore jo në Wharton, por duke parë World Wrestling Entertainment. Pra, shumë nga ajo që ai bën është thjesht performuese; është për t’u dukur i fortë, për të folur ashpër dhe për goditje të rreme trupore, në të cilat të gjithë mashtrohen përveç rivalëve tanë.
Për shembull, Trump prishi marrëveshjen bërthamore të Iranit në maj 2018, duke pretenduar se ishte një dhuratë nga Barack Obama. Por ai e bëri këtë pa asnjë plan diplomatik për të siguruar një marrëveshje më të mirë dhe pa plan strategjik apo aleatë për t’u përballur me Iranin nëse ai shfrytëzonte lëvizjen e Trump duke shtyrë përpara drejt një bombe bërthamore. Pra, Irani, i cili, nën Obamën, po mbahej rreth një vit larg nga disponimi i materialit të mjaftueshëm të zbërthyeshëm për të ndërtuar një bombë bërthamore, tani është vetëm disa javë larg. Kjo është ajo që ju merr diplomacia performuese.
Dhe kjo ndodhi përpara se aleatët tanë të dinin vërtet se sa pak e njeh apo vlerëson Trump aleancën perëndimore. Për herë të dytë, askush nuk do t’i besonte atij, kështu që strategjia e Trump “Amerika së pari” me siguri do të përfundonte një strategji “Amerika vetëm”. Nëse mendoni se të ndihmosh Ukrainën është e shtrenjtë sot, provo të mbrosh Amerikën kundër Rusisë, Kinës dhe Iranit – të gjitha vetë.
I fear what this future holds, my fellow Americans, because Trump is a fake, Lindsey Graham is a fake, and the Grand Old Party has become a cult with no coherent platform other than what side of the bed it woke up on Trump, which means it's a hoax. None of them will fight for anything much longer — except to stay in Trump's good graces by saying whatever he tells them to say.
They are all trapped in an executive punishment loop that has nothing to do with acting on our real interests. It's just about performing for Trump and his base to get more clicks, get more donations, get more votes, get elected, and then perform again for more clicks. Rinse and repeat – current world be damned.
It's all fake. Only our enemies are not fake. / Taken from The New York Times, adapted Pamphlet
Lini një Përgjigje