The Ukraine war is far from over
Our senior mentor, James Dubick, a highly respected military leader and prolific writer, provides this salient piece in The Hill.
A snippet is below but find the full article here.
Wars ebb and flow, momentum shifts back and forth, success and setbacks intertwine. War demands immense physical, emotional and spiritual energy of those involved — whether on the battlefield or in capitals. Perseverance required to achieve one’s aims mixes with adaptation required to respond as war unfolds. Commitment in the face of uncertainty takes a toll. In some sense, war is just a hard slog. The war in Ukraine is no different.
In the initial invasion, the Ukrainian forces defeated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assault on Kyiv. Russia withdrew because it was forced to do so. But they have not abandoned their goal to conquer and subjugate Ukraine. In Putin’s mind, he is merely modifying how. The Russian military shifted forces to the east and went with Plan B: bite off more of Ukraine’s east and south to make it a landlocked country. If they succeed, they are likely to revert to Plan A.
The brutality of Putin’s aggression and criminal behavior goes unabated. Attacks on noncombatants and hospitals, murder and rape, using starvation as a weapon of war, preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid, stopping refugees from fleeing the fighting — all are stomach-turning, constant reminders of the Russian way of war. And all are harbingers of what is to come should Russia succeed. Read on here.