Fellow combat veteran Nick Freitas summed it up perfectly on X yesterday:
"What could be more fun than a combat vet getting lectured on war by DC socialites whose nearest experience is playing fortnight?
If you little bitches want to volunteer to fight for the Donbas you be my guest. And when you get back…if you get back, I'll be happy to hear about your theories on war.
Until then, Piss off.
I'll say it again, for clarification...
It’s not about “wanting Putin to win.”
I DON’T want Putin to win. But I don’t see a lot of the people advocating expansion of this war, offering to send their own kids…
So here are some things to consider:
1. Trump is correct that Ukraine can't win a war of attrition against Russia. The numbers aren't there. You can send all the equipment you want, sooner or later Ukraine will require troops. Who is going to send them? Because it will not be us nor should it be.
2. Germany, the UK, and France all have GDPs larger than Russia. So they shouldn't need US support. Europe should be able to handle this on its own. If they can't, that says a lot more about how they have managed European priorities. You don’t get to simultaneously complain about US hegemony and then demand that we use our blood and treasure to solve a problem you could have easily dealt with by adjusting your priorities.
3. This war could have been stopped before it started. NATO did not need to expand to Russia's borders. NATO was originally established to combat communist aggression. Which means at this point its primary threat is Western universities.
4. Ukrainian gains have encouraged Zelensky to go for more than he can reasonably achieve. Russia outran its supply lines while at the same time leaving major pockets of resistance along its lines of communication. That combined with a massive influx of money and weaponry from the West is the reason it was able to push the Russians back. But without air superiority Ukraine is playing a game it can't ultimately win.
5. Trump is not just dealing with Ukraine here. He recognizes that the foreign policy nightmare that was the Biden administration has pushed our two greatest adversaries, Russia and China closer together. Russia is the lesser partner in that alliance and they don’t want to be dependent upon China. That presents an opportunity to both save Ukraine and create distance between Russia, China, and even Iran.
Welcome to a new foreign policy that takes reality into account.
Where the US is a respected ally not a sugar daddy."
