What with the events in Ferguson, Missouri, the beheading of American journalist James Foley by ISIS terrorists, ISIS gains in Iraq, and the first successful protest in Major League Baseball since 1986, I am not sure how many people noticed this report from The New York Times yesterday:
“The Russian military has moved artillery units manned by Russian personnel inside Ukrainian territory in recent days and was using them to fire at Ukrainian forces, NATO officials said on Friday.
The West has long accused Russia of supporting the separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, but this is the first time it has said it had evidence that the Russian military was operating in Ukrainian territory.
The Russian move represents a significant escalation of the Kremlin’s involvement in the fighting there ….
Since mid-August NATO has received multiple reports of the direct involvement of Russian forces, ‘including Russian airborne, air defense and special operations forces in Eastern Ukraine,’ said Oana Lungescu, a spokeswoman for NATO.
‘Russian artillery support – both cross-border and from within Ukraine – is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,’ she added.”
Back in July, I noted reports that Russian artillery was firing from Russia into Ukraine. Now NATO is reporting that Russian artillery is firing at Ukrainian targets from inside Ukraine. This is yet another escalation by President Putin. Look at the time line:
- Russia invades Georgia in 2008 – and gets away with it. Russia still occupies two regions of Georgia.
- Russia hosts the Winter Olympics.
- Russia promptly thereafter invades and annexes Crimea.
- Russia sends anti-air weapons to Ukrainian rebels.
- Ukrainian rebels shoot down a civilian Malaysian airliner, killing 298 people.
- Russian artillery fires into Ukraine.
- Russian artillery in Ukraine fires at Ukrainian forces.
I appreciate Chancellor Merkel’s currents efforts. Apparently, however, the sanctions, etc., implemented so far haven’t convinced President Putin to stop his aggression against,and now invasion of, Ukraine. We need to do more.
I am not suggesting the U.S. send troops to Ukraine, but there are more than two choices. It’s not just send combat troops or do nothing. We can send weapons to Ukraine. We can ramp up sanctions. And we can make sure President Putin understands, really understands, that we will defend each and every member of NATO against any kind of Russian action (no matter how much Russia may lie about it).
I am pleased President Obama will be going to Estonia in September. This is an important signal to President Putin, but we need to do more than that. The NATO summit in September is the time and place to agree on more actions. President Obama needs to lead the effort to reach such an agreement.
As I have said before, the more we do now, the less we will have to do later. We have already missed a number of opportunities to do more. We need to not miss any more.
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