BACK FROM GWID AND WINTER TIME TEMPERATURES BUT NO WIND NO SNOW

Many in America and, no doubt, other Western countries have groused about the cost and inventory depletion of aiding Ukraine. However, as this article from the Atlantic Council points out, it is certainly not a one way street. The West reaps multiple benefits from backing Ukraine against Russia Ukraine is often viewed as being heavily reliant on Western support but the relationship is mutually beneficial and provides the West with enhanced security along with valuable intelligence, writes Taras Kuzio. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/the-west-reaps-multiple-benefits-from-backing-ukraine-against-russia/?mkt_tok=NjU5LVdaWC0wNzUAAAGJRyHukRRPp3WwdzOmRq1SD_kQ8GIWaidmO8X25hawTB8yJYaTlIdRmhU9VACYN8EEy4HVYRsaMQOoJVB-vTOvwkedFnqPpxpFdrbQRZ0hQ4g In simple terms: “The most important of these advantages are being won on the battlefield. In short, Ukraine is steadily destroying Russia’s military potential. This dramatically reduces the threat posed to NATO’s eastern flank. In time, it should allow the Western world to focus its attention on China. Defeat in Ukraine would relegate Russia from the ranks of the world’s military superpowers and leave Moscow facing years of rebuilding before it could once again menace the wider region. Crucially, by supporting Ukraine, the West is able to dramatically reduce Russia’s military potential without committing any of its own troops or sustaining casualties.” But you needn’t believe me or even the Atlantic Council’s author. As Condoleeza Rice (former Secretary of State) and Robert Gates (former Secretary of Defense) co-wrote in the Washington Post: “The way to avoid confrontation with Russia in the future is to help Ukraine push back the invader now. This is the lesson of history that should guide us, and it lends urgency to the actions that must be taken, before it is too late.” There are three other major advantages to helping Ukraine win victory over Russia: (1) It has reinvigorated the West in general and NATO in particular in a way that hasn’t been seen since the fall of the USSR and brought two additional members to the alliance; (2) It has encouraged Europe to move towards renewable energy and away from being held hostage by Russia’s provision of fossil fuels; and (3) Ethically, morally, politically and spiritually, it is simply the right thing to do. GLORY TO UKRAINE!