Entry 2388, on 2025-03-04 at 19:38:19 (Rating 4, News)
Sometimes we shouldn't compromise, right? I mean, some things are so important that only one outcome is acceptable. Well, maybe that's true, although my tendency towards nuance recently might suggest otherwise. Personally I think that pursuing one outcome, without compromise, is a recipe for disaster. So let's look at an example of where compromise is the best strategy.
Let's talk about the war in Ukraine. This is particularly topical right now because of the "debacle" which resulted from talks between the president of Ukraine, Zelensky, and Trump and Vance.
I am no expert on this (but when has that ever stopped me in the past?) but I have heard several interviews with all three of those participants, and with independent military experts. The interview with Zelensky lead me to one major conclusion: he is stubborn and not prepared to compromise. And fair enough too, because why should he compromise when he is the innocent victim of an illegal invasion from a much bigger country run by a tyrant?
Well, sure, that's an easy attitude to have when you aren't the one fighting and dying on the front lines of the war. And don't try to tell me what a hero he is because we have occasionally seen him posing with his armed forces. I don't think he is a hero and I don't think he has ever been in any genuinely dangerous positions. What is he doing instead? Flying around the world gathering support (and by that I mainly mean money) for the war effort. Is he really a hero?
On the other side, Trump and Vance certainly got unnecessarily aggressive with him during that meeting. In some ways that was necessary, but was it really the most productive way to act? I don't think so.
Russia thought the war would be over in a few weeks, but they didn't realise that the military strategies they initially used were a disaster in the modern era. So they didn't succeed in their aims and lost a lot of men and equipment in the process. But they have learned from their mistake, and now are making progress, although it is slow. And while this continues, the casualties increase, with current estimates of up to a million.
Ukraine cannot win the war by itself. It could win easily if Western countries became fully and directly involved, but that would be a major escalation which we should avoid. Why? Well, remember Russia has a lot of nuclear weapons. Does anyone want to take a bet that they wouldn't use them if they became desperate enough? Trump wasn't exaggerating when he accused Zelensky of risking starting World War 3!
So realistically, Ukraine is going to have to make some compromises, and that will involve some loss of territory and an agreement that they cannot join NATO. Is that fair? No. Is that the perfect outcome? No. Is it the best compromise? I think so. It would allow Russia to disengage while still claiming some sort of win. The war would end and the killing would stop. I think Trump could negotiate this deal, but Zelensky has to be realistic and accept it too.
I can see why he wouldn't want to. He is admired around the world for his steadfast fortitude and unwavering commitment to his country, but that's easy when he's not the one being shot at, or the one supplying massive amounts of money, some of which has possibly been used for doubtful purposes. While the war continues, he is the hero and the unopposed leader, but after the war what happens? Well, remember what happened to Churchill after World War 2?
The problem, of course, is that if Russia gains territory out of a deal to end the war they started, they might just be encouraged to try it again in the future, so there would need to be an absolute understanding that it would not be tolerated again. Maybe the West (mainly Europe and the US) could supply strong defences against any future attack, or maybe they could make an absolute commitment to assisting with the future defence of Ukraine with extensive land and air forces.
There is no doubt that Russia, apart from the nukes, is not strong militarily. Their hardware is inferior, their training is inferior, and their economy (which is smaller than the US, Germany, the UK, France, and Italy) cannot fight a significant war for long. But don't forget those nukes!
We don't need the narcissistic posing we are getting from Zelensky and his allies in Europe. We need a limited commitment of support from the US and Europe so that Ukraine has some bargaining power, but we then need a compromise so that Russia can stop the war. Yes, it's all about compromise.
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