In recent months, the need for Ukrainian air defenses has grown more urgent. As U.S. aid is unable to pass through Congress, Ukraine’s European allies have been stepping up to provide what they can. Norway is now the latest nation to pledge F-16s to Ukraine, not only to defend Ukrainian airspace, but also for the purpose of striking deep inside Russian territory. The U.S. has expressed caution about striking so deep into Russian territory, despite recent Russian territorial gains in Ukraine and Russian strikes on Kyiv itself.
Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan observes that as the United States continues to fail to provide any more assistance, European states are becoming more directly involved. Zeihan says the question of France sending its own troops into Ukraine is now a question of when, not if. Zeihan concludes that these developments are both a sign of declining U.S. global leadership and also a sign that Europeans recognize the gravity of this conflict — and that if they don’t win in Ukraine, they might be defending their own territory next.
Below is an excerpt from Peter’s April 17 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:
It looks like the Europeans may have figured out that Russia’s war plans don’t end in Ukraine, so more and more countries are beginning to send aid to the Ukrainians. The Americans, however, are still working through flawed economics and political considerations.
The Norwegian government has decided to send some F-16s to Ukraine, joining Denmark, the Netherlands, and others in providing military support. The most important shift we’re seeing in aid sent to Ukraine is that it is intended to be used on Russian infrastructure and military units… within the Russian border.
The Biden administration’s caution regarding Ukrainian targeting is based on flawed economic analysis and pointless political considerations. This has led us to a strange intersection of this war, where Europe is done limiting Ukraine’s actions in fighting, but the more commonly aggressive American stance is still lagging behind.