This is the latest report in my months-long coverage of the war in Ukraine. For more reporting like this, and to read my screeds about the reprehensible Republican Party, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. I put up one of these columns nearly every day. It’s a lot of work.
Exactly, Leslie. You can't win a fight with one hand tied behind your back. This constant reluctance to get more "deeply" involved so as not to infuriate Putin is a mistake, Biden reminds me of Jack tip toeing through the giant's castle so as not to awaken him. Imagine if Churchill was told by Roosevelt be careful not to make Hitler too mad . Although at first I guess we did hold back as there was a strong anti war movement in the beginning. Of course the risk here is different. Russia has a strong nuclear arsenal but Putin is well aware that millions on both sides would die in a nuclear conflict with the West. But what do we do? If we hold back too much he will win. Then what? We will be living with an emboldened Russia that hates us and the other NATO countries more than ever. But if he loses he knows he is finished as Russia's leader, to have lost I'm sure over a million young men and untold military equipment for nothing. And even if he survived he'd just start re building his army and armaments to try again in a year or two.
Well there is one American that would be spared if we were ever invaded "Russian state TV analyst praised Fox News host Tucker Carlson as "one American" who should not be killed during a recent discussion about how Russia should combat the United States' involvement in the Ukraine war."
H.R. Knickerbocker was reporting from Germany for crucial years in the 1920s and 1930s, " A student of psychiatry in Munich... walked straight into Hitler's Beerhall Putsch" --- also familiar with Soviet Russia --- won a Pulitzer Prize mainly for reporting on the N.E.P , interviewed Hitler and other top German leaders numerous times, spoke fluent German, saw the London Blitz firsthand, this book is his 1940-41 summary of why he was convinced the USA had to enter the war, or else. Introduction by John Gunther, which explains much more.
I was wondering when Germany would finally figure out that they've served their time in hell and should come out to help the rest of the world fight the battles that need to be fought.
They undoubtedly also remember that Ukraine is a kind of buffer zone for them and they should keep it free from Russian control.
The Iron Curtain is but a fresh memory and I'm sure the Germans who lived through it don't want any more Russian interference in their country.
All that aside, what were they going to do with these modern tanks? Show them off for NATO? Besides, if you don't use machinery once in a while, it degrades and rots away.
Put it to good use and save some lives-that's a great reason to send them to Ukraine, although through secondary avenues because they're still afraid of Russia.
Well, this is a big deal, Crimea, because Putin took it back in 2014 (Khrushchev had changed the borders of the Soviet states then to award Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 as a sop of sorts, and it never really mattered until after the USSR broke up in 1991-92) to keep NATO from acquiring the Russian naval bases there and because Crimea is ethnically majority Russian. To this day I don't think most American observers are aware of this or appreciate the significance. You think Russian missiles in Cuba was a red line in 1962? Losing Crimea is what I can see being the red line now for Moscow and Putin. You don't have to approve of Putin or his stupid barbarous war to think that crossing red lines of a nuclear power may not be the sensible, pragmatic approach for the rest of the world.
This is good news in an incredibly sad and totally unnecessary clusterF. Haven't heard the latest excuse why it's all our fault that Putin had no choice but to decimate Ukraine but I hope this is what turns the tide.
Thanks for explaining all this. Other news sources I read report on the diplomatic negotiations about the tanks but don't say much about tanks themselves. Now I understand why these latest-generation tanks are important.
My one experience with the Russian Duma was in Saint Petersberg in 1997. A group of outsiders from the Women and Earth conference, arranged to meet with the only women Duma representative at the time. It was just so surreal. The rep was busy have her tea-time and seemed unimpressed by her foreign guests, even when one nurse from NYU offered to send assistance to Russia, the reduced and reconstituted nation after the fall of Communism.
I was a high school teacher at the time, balancing the wife-mother thing in the Great and Wonderful US of A. As we were leaving the office of the Duma representative, one of us mentioned that there was a poet among the outsiders. That word alone seemed to turn a key, and the mood suddenly changed. A shaft of light erupted the cramped office, and a sense of camaraderie filled the dingy space. The contrast between the mundane and the ethereal became apparent. Here, in this historic city that had only recently changed its name back from Leningrad, there was an easing of suspicion for a brief moment, and a shared moment of pleasure.
We made no promises, but as our little band exited, I proclaimed somewhat theatrically: "The door is open!" This morning I got my long-awaited response. The morning NYTimes, delivered to my front door, carries a message from Russia, with Love, on a front page lead article: "Protesting War with Flowers At a Poet's Feet". The poet is a Ukranian woman whom few abroad have ever heard of, signaling that the door remains open, even as German-made tanks roll into Ukraine, to counter the deadly advance. More power to "dramatic poet": Leslia Kosach Ukrainka !
is it still true that Putin has NO close advisors with anything resembling military experience/judgement? KGB et al have demonstrated extraordinary competence at their evil spy shit, but obviously, the battlefield is something else entirely.
Maybe a little handholding would help. Maybe Joe Biden might be willing to send German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a copy of then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Lend Lease speech -- we're helping Great Britain because it helps us. We, in alliance with Germany, are helping Ukraine defend themselves, and Germany has a compelling reason to participate. American Abrams Main Battle Tanks are too complicated to commit to battle without the logistical train that only the United States can afford to support. The Abrams is bult for big wars, not smaller ones. The weapons and matériel need to be right-sized in terms of complexity and crew training to be truly effective. Deployment of the Abrams can be done, but on a much longer timeline and hugely more expensive. The Abrams is not the equivalent of a Swiss army knife. It's complicated and it's maintenance intensive. And it's a year too late for deployment now.
We're not going to get a negotiated settlement until Pitin, or his successor, calls it quits. Kicking the Russians out of Ukraine will have the effect of forcing Russia to accept the new normal that its Imperial ambitions will not be tolerated.
When my kids were little I used to take them to Otter Creek Park, near Brandenburg, Kentucky. We would walk to the middle of the creek and walk up it until the water got too deep for the shortest one. It was idyllic. Along the grassy edge of the road near the park, was where I had my first encounter of a moving Tank. They are fast, and horrifying, unforgiving metal.
I really wish Russia would stop sending boys, and men to their death.
My take about Germany changing its mind has to do with being convinced that if Ukraine fell, things would move into Europe. (But thanks for all the tank info. I'm going to try to find some way to drop a few tank facts into conversations.)
Lucian, you know Lindsey Graham and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Richard Blumenthal just visited Ukraine. They know that Germany has to be coerced to send their tanks. It’s shameful, really. Thank goodness Poland got permission from Germany to send their tanks. Another great peak into the inner workings of these armored weapons. I just want everybody to kick Russia’s ass!
Perhaps much of NATO sees blood in the water and feels it's time to make Putin an offer he can't refuse. Nuclear war over Ukraine? Probably not. The generals in Moscow are not as lost in fantasy as Putin.
I hope you realize that you have several dozen followers savoring your skill at detail and a serious grasp of military doctrine. Thank you.
Jan 24, 2023·edited Jan 24, 2023Liked by Lucian K. Truscott IV
Something that struck was Putin puttin' out that if Germany releases Poland to ship 2A2's, Ukraine would pay for it. He said that about HIMARS as well. Plus now, he seems more worried about the tanks than the Patriots,
This is a relief to hear. The sooner Ukraine is given what they need the better for the whole planet
Exactly, Leslie. You can't win a fight with one hand tied behind your back. This constant reluctance to get more "deeply" involved so as not to infuriate Putin is a mistake, Biden reminds me of Jack tip toeing through the giant's castle so as not to awaken him. Imagine if Churchill was told by Roosevelt be careful not to make Hitler too mad . Although at first I guess we did hold back as there was a strong anti war movement in the beginning. Of course the risk here is different. Russia has a strong nuclear arsenal but Putin is well aware that millions on both sides would die in a nuclear conflict with the West. But what do we do? If we hold back too much he will win. Then what? We will be living with an emboldened Russia that hates us and the other NATO countries more than ever. But if he loses he knows he is finished as Russia's leader, to have lost I'm sure over a million young men and untold military equipment for nothing. And even if he survived he'd just start re building his army and armaments to try again in a year or two.
Well there is one American that would be spared if we were ever invaded "Russian state TV analyst praised Fox News host Tucker Carlson as "one American" who should not be killed during a recent discussion about how Russia should combat the United States' involvement in the Ukraine war."
gutenberg.org/cache/epub/66251/pg66251-images.html
You'll recognize what this book is all about.
H.R. Knickerbocker was reporting from Germany for crucial years in the 1920s and 1930s, " A student of psychiatry in Munich... walked straight into Hitler's Beerhall Putsch" --- also familiar with Soviet Russia --- won a Pulitzer Prize mainly for reporting on the N.E.P , interviewed Hitler and other top German leaders numerous times, spoke fluent German, saw the London Blitz firsthand, this book is his 1940-41 summary of why he was convinced the USA had to enter the war, or else. Introduction by John Gunther, which explains much more.
Just downloaded the book. Looking forward to a read.
I wonder how much TuckTuck is getting paid by Russia.
Actually, I think he is on the Comedy Central payroll.
TuckerSeanLaura, 3 hours garbage nightly!
I was wondering when Germany would finally figure out that they've served their time in hell and should come out to help the rest of the world fight the battles that need to be fought.
They undoubtedly also remember that Ukraine is a kind of buffer zone for them and they should keep it free from Russian control.
The Iron Curtain is but a fresh memory and I'm sure the Germans who lived through it don't want any more Russian interference in their country.
All that aside, what were they going to do with these modern tanks? Show them off for NATO? Besides, if you don't use machinery once in a while, it degrades and rots away.
Put it to good use and save some lives-that's a great reason to send them to Ukraine, although through secondary avenues because they're still afraid of Russia.
The objective is clear. Including Crimea.
Well, this is a big deal, Crimea, because Putin took it back in 2014 (Khrushchev had changed the borders of the Soviet states then to award Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 as a sop of sorts, and it never really mattered until after the USSR broke up in 1991-92) to keep NATO from acquiring the Russian naval bases there and because Crimea is ethnically majority Russian. To this day I don't think most American observers are aware of this or appreciate the significance. You think Russian missiles in Cuba was a red line in 1962? Losing Crimea is what I can see being the red line now for Moscow and Putin. You don't have to approve of Putin or his stupid barbarous war to think that crossing red lines of a nuclear power may not be the sensible, pragmatic approach for the rest of the world.
Well reasoned and well written. Thanks, Lucian. Your perspective is so different from the main stream media and, accordingly, so valuable.
Just wow. Again, your knowledge is astounding, Lucian.
This is good news in an incredibly sad and totally unnecessary clusterF. Haven't heard the latest excuse why it's all our fault that Putin had no choice but to decimate Ukraine but I hope this is what turns the tide.
Thanks for explaining all this. Other news sources I read report on the diplomatic negotiations about the tanks but don't say much about tanks themselves. Now I understand why these latest-generation tanks are important.
My one experience with the Russian Duma was in Saint Petersberg in 1997. A group of outsiders from the Women and Earth conference, arranged to meet with the only women Duma representative at the time. It was just so surreal. The rep was busy have her tea-time and seemed unimpressed by her foreign guests, even when one nurse from NYU offered to send assistance to Russia, the reduced and reconstituted nation after the fall of Communism.
I was a high school teacher at the time, balancing the wife-mother thing in the Great and Wonderful US of A. As we were leaving the office of the Duma representative, one of us mentioned that there was a poet among the outsiders. That word alone seemed to turn a key, and the mood suddenly changed. A shaft of light erupted the cramped office, and a sense of camaraderie filled the dingy space. The contrast between the mundane and the ethereal became apparent. Here, in this historic city that had only recently changed its name back from Leningrad, there was an easing of suspicion for a brief moment, and a shared moment of pleasure.
We made no promises, but as our little band exited, I proclaimed somewhat theatrically: "The door is open!" This morning I got my long-awaited response. The morning NYTimes, delivered to my front door, carries a message from Russia, with Love, on a front page lead article: "Protesting War with Flowers At a Poet's Feet". The poet is a Ukranian woman whom few abroad have ever heard of, signaling that the door remains open, even as German-made tanks roll into Ukraine, to counter the deadly advance. More power to "dramatic poet": Leslia Kosach Ukrainka !
Fascinating.
is it still true that Putin has NO close advisors with anything resembling military experience/judgement? KGB et al have demonstrated extraordinary competence at their evil spy shit, but obviously, the battlefield is something else entirely.
Historically, really bright general officers in Russia are a danger to the reigning commissar.
Maybe a little handholding would help. Maybe Joe Biden might be willing to send German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a copy of then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Lend Lease speech -- we're helping Great Britain because it helps us. We, in alliance with Germany, are helping Ukraine defend themselves, and Germany has a compelling reason to participate. American Abrams Main Battle Tanks are too complicated to commit to battle without the logistical train that only the United States can afford to support. The Abrams is bult for big wars, not smaller ones. The weapons and matériel need to be right-sized in terms of complexity and crew training to be truly effective. Deployment of the Abrams can be done, but on a much longer timeline and hugely more expensive. The Abrams is not the equivalent of a Swiss army knife. It's complicated and it's maintenance intensive. And it's a year too late for deployment now.
We're not going to get a negotiated settlement until Pitin, or his successor, calls it quits. Kicking the Russians out of Ukraine will have the effect of forcing Russia to accept the new normal that its Imperial ambitions will not be tolerated.
When my kids were little I used to take them to Otter Creek Park, near Brandenburg, Kentucky. We would walk to the middle of the creek and walk up it until the water got too deep for the shortest one. It was idyllic. Along the grassy edge of the road near the park, was where I had my first encounter of a moving Tank. They are fast, and horrifying, unforgiving metal.
I really wish Russia would stop sending boys, and men to their death.
So enlightening. Thank you!
My take about Germany changing its mind has to do with being convinced that if Ukraine fell, things would move into Europe. (But thanks for all the tank info. I'm going to try to find some way to drop a few tank facts into conversations.)
The Polish Prime Minister stated last week that they would be willing to supply Ukraine with some of their leopard tanks whether Germany gave permission or not, due to the importance and urgency of the need. Perhaps that helped nudge the German politicians over the line? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/19/poland-could-send-leopard-tanks-to-ukraine-without-german-approval
If I recall my mid 20th century history correctly Poland's populace will have many very bitter memories regarding both Germany and Russia.
Just find a way to fit "gyroscopically balanced main gun" into daily chatter!
I will do my best.
Lucian, you know Lindsey Graham and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Richard Blumenthal just visited Ukraine. They know that Germany has to be coerced to send their tanks. It’s shameful, really. Thank goodness Poland got permission from Germany to send their tanks. Another great peak into the inner workings of these armored weapons. I just want everybody to kick Russia’s ass!
Perhaps much of NATO sees blood in the water and feels it's time to make Putin an offer he can't refuse. Nuclear war over Ukraine? Probably not. The generals in Moscow are not as lost in fantasy as Putin.
I hope you realize that you have several dozen followers savoring your skill at detail and a serious grasp of military doctrine. Thank you.
Something that struck was Putin puttin' out that if Germany releases Poland to ship 2A2's, Ukraine would pay for it. He said that about HIMARS as well. Plus now, he seems more worried about the tanks than the Patriots,
Good.