**'It means the end of Putin': Former NATO commander Wesley Clark explains Ukraine war.
((Pardon length, edited.))
Q: What moves could the United States make beyond sanctions right now that would help protect Ukraine?
A: The most important move now is for the president to announce Vladimir Putin is a war criminal. Really. This gives enormous diplomatic leverage and a greater incentive to help the campaign. . .
Q: NATO seems to be wimping out slightly theyre saying members, such as Poland, cannot even fly fighter planes to Ukraine through NATO airspace.
A: This is wrongheaded. This is driven by the United States, and I would urge the United States to reconsider this. Russia does not own the borders of Ukraine. They belong to Ukraine. Ukraine is a nation under threat. And under the United Nations Charter, nations have the right to request assistance for self-defense.
How would the Russians know a fighter plane has been transferred using NATO airspace? How do they know it didnt fly in over the Black Sea? How do they know it didnt come in over Belarus?
Look, for 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the Soviet Union, the United States has operated as the worlds superpower. . . As NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, this is the new normal. . . We have to learn and understand how to deal with situations like this. This wont be the last.
Q: You advocate a no-fly zone?
A: Absolutely. The airspace belongs to Ukraine. If they ask for help, why cant we fly airplanes in there? Say, oh, its because of the Russians, they might come up and contest it. Thats the Russians problem. Theyre going to get shot down. Okay, then what? Putin says hes going to use a nuclear weapon. If we back away from that challenge, if we dont confront it, this is like a two-pair poker bluff, for incredibly high stakes.
Q: Would Putin use a nuclear weapon?
A: If he was losing, I think he might. And if we think theres a chance a guy would use a nuclear weapon against us, I guess we just need to give up on the concept of extended deterrence. Why would we want to defend Estonia if Putin might want to use a nuclear weapon? Is Estonia worth it? . . . The United States has to recalibrate its understanding, leadership and processes to work in this new area or we will lose the rules-based international system, . . .
Q: Is there something we can do, at least lets say to degrade Russian capabilities, if they continue to escalate and they continue to kill civilians?
A: We could certainly use cyber. Heres the problem. Anything you do that has an effect on Russian operations will cross the so-called red line of Mr. Putin. Heres the thing. Ukraine is the toughest opponent he will face . . If you cant find a way to deal with his threats now, you have to find a way to deal with them later. . .
Q: With advocating a no-fly zone, it sounds like you think we should be willing to risk a certain amount of escalation.
A: I think we have to. We have to think about our situation and measure what actions we can take against what risks they incur both immediate and long-term.
Q: The ultimate question is: Does the West stand by and watch innocent people slaughtered?
A: I think thats the conundrum that the administration is facing. What can we do without provoking a red line? And the answer to that is: It doesnt just depend on us. It depends on Putin. Id say its more than a little unpredictable.'
https://nypost.com/2022/03/02/former-nato-commander-wesley-clark-urges-us-to-reconsider-no-fly-zone/?
AlexSFCA
(6,139 posts)ICC will prove it. Biden could consider putin as subject to indictment.
Metaphorical
(1,604 posts)Remember, any court needs time to collect evidence, to prepare a case, to convene a jury. The war is currently two weeks old. I wouldn't be surprised if the decision gets made, but expecting it to happen in that time frame is unrealistic.
herding cats
(19,568 posts)Thank you for posting!
LiberalFighter
(51,170 posts)Joinfortmill
(14,481 posts)left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Psst ... Radar ?
monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)Postal Grunt
(218 posts)Establishing a no fly zone over Ukraine is easier said than done. Considering Ukraine is as large as the state of Texas, air bases for refueling and rearming fighters inside Ukraine would be needed. Those bases would definitely be vulnerable to Russian missile attack. There would also be a need for rescue teams to help downed US pilots. US boots on the ground in Ukraine wouldn't sit well here in the US nor would the idea of US flyers as POWs.
Another fly in the ointment would be the necessity to take out missile and radar installations inside Russian territory. The Russian S-400 missiles have quite a range so if you want to establish a no fly zone, you have to concede that the US and maybe its NATO allies would be directly involved in a war with Russia. Once a US pilot is killed or captured, public opinion will be shaken in a manner that a lot of us can't predict.
If the US and NATO agree on a no fly zone, every country is going to have to explain that action and possible outcomes to its citizens.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)This guy knows how to win a war in Eastern Europe. Listen to him.