Putin Is A Madman, But Zelensky Is Delusional
Putin is a bastard for starting the war, there is no doubt about that. However, Zelensky doesn’t seem to recognize the political reality of his own country.
On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his armed forces to invade Ukraine. This invasion was not unexpected, after all Putin has been stationing troops near the Ukrainian border for the past year. Yet, the world stood still for a while, because while it isn’t surprising, part of us wanted to believe that Putin might not go that far. We were hoping that maybe Putin isn’t ~that~ crazy.
Since the war began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading for the U.S. and other countries to supplement his military. This plea shows how delusional Zelensky is about the world — his requests are not politically sensible, and they risk the escalation of the war.
Zelensky pleads for a no-fly zone over Ukraine
Zelensky asked for a no-fly zone because he felt that Ukraine lacks air supremacy. A no-fly zone would mean that allies would have to shoot Russian planes down. Other nations including the U.S. has rejected this idea, because their involvement would risk causing a larger war. Moreover, it is not worth it because Russia’s primary method of attack is the use of artillery, not aircraft. This means that intervention from other nations would be ineffective. It would also potentially lead to a prolonged war, or even a nuclear exchange. More fighting is never good. Even the U.S. said that they will not be sending troops to help this time, for fear of Russian tyranny..
“The president also has a responsibility to not get us into a direct conflict, a direct war with Russia, a nuclear power, and risk a war that expands even beyond Ukraine to Europe. That’s clearly not our interest. What we’re trying to do is end this war in Ukraine, not start a larger one,” — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
Zelensky tells U.S. that he needs anti-tank missiles
Zelensky reportedly told U.S. in response to their offer to evacuate him from Kyiv that “the fight is here” and he needed anti-tank ammunition but “not a ride.” He also asked for more help from the west.
Has Zelensky forgotten that this war was triggered because he was trying to get NATO membership for Ukraine? Being recognized as a “NATO country” will make it possible for other NATO countries to provide and sell defense goods and services to Ukraine. This includes anti-ship/air missiles. If this were China and Taiwan, and if Taiwan invited the U.S. to place missiles on their island, no one would be expecting China to just accept it. Similarly, Russia’s reaction is not unexpected. Yet, Zelensky continues to ask for more ammunition. Is Zelensky not aware that Russia would simply increase their strength against Ukraine?
A Russian de-escalation is unlikely in the near future.
This is especially since a range of Javelin antitank missiles, rocket launchers, guns, and ammunition have since made their way from the U.S. to Ukraine, according to a Pentagon official. Other NATO countries and several non-NATO European nations have also started or expanded their weapons shipments to Ukraine. Why would Russia step back now since they have the capabilities to push for a bigger attack, and they have nuclear weapons as a trump card?
This war began because Zelensky is unfamiliar with the political climate and made poor decisions because of it. At this time, he remains delusional, and the war is probably not going to end any time soon.
