Here is how badly Vladimir Putin's plan to conquer Ukraine has gone. One year into the conflict, or roughly 11 months longer than the Russian President thought it would take to overrun the country, he wasn't walking the streets of Kyiv, but Joe Biden was. Mr. Biden's tour guide was Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a man Putin thought would be either dead, or in exile by now.
Well, these things happen. Given what has gone down in the last few years Vlad Putin's first mistake was probably thinking Donald Trump would win the 2020 American presidential race. If it had gone Trump's way he probably would be roaming around St. Michael's Monastery right now with Trump in tow, carrying his baggage.
However, as we all know, things didn't work out for Trump two plus years ago and they certainly aren't working out for Vladimir Putin right now.
That doesn't mean somewhere down the line the whole bloody mess won't turn in Mr. Putin's favor. Let's face it he has far more resources, no matter how reluctant, than Zelensky does. A war of attrition favors Russia and if Putin can keep it up until 2024 he might catch a break if either Trump, or someone like him gets into the White House.
There is already a flock of republican vultures floating about congress. In the past 31 senators and 57 house members have voted against military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Among them, Rand Paul and the notorious secessionist, Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The truth is this entire, "America First," nonsense is beginning to look like a, "Russia First," front organization. Most recently these devious clowns have demanded the U.S. take the aid designated for Ukraine and use it to clean up the disastrous train derailment in Ohio. How shipments of tanks, missiles, and ammunition would help the beleaguered people of East Palestine remains unexplained.
Putin entered this war thinking Russian forces would sweep into Kyiv as the Ukrainian army crumbled and surrendered. He seemed to believe NATO would stand by, paralyzed by political differences and a malaise brought on by the former American president. He thought it would end so fast the Russian army didn't even think to bring along enough fuel to sustain a prolonged conflict. He felt, as many western observers did,, Zelensky would flee the country not long after the shooting began. He could live with sanctions because as president, he knew he personally wouldn't be affected by them.
Now he is in it for the long haul because he has to be. The whole idea of a blitzkrieg victory is gone and his only hope is the United States and Western Europe tires of supporting the Ukrainians, or elects leaders who for their own reasons either ignore him, or like him.
Depending on the source it is estimated there have been over 200,000 Russian troops, killed, wounded, captured, or gone missing. since the invasion began. The Ukrainian casualties are estimated at 120,000. Russia is the 9th most populous country in the world. Ukraine has four million fewer people than the state of California.
Given those numbers it doesn't take much of a math whiz to know without NATO and U.S. help the Ukrainians cannot hold off Putin's army forever. The far-right wing of the American republican party, despite its scientific limitations, knows it too. They just have to hide their knowledge under the cover of some, "America First," horse shit.
Yes, at this point, the 2024 American elections can't get here fast enough for Vlad Putin. It turns out, he needs American politicians just as much as the Ukrainians do.
2-27-23
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