Ukrainian civilians can be safeguarded by NATO from Russian terrorism. Putin should describe why this would escalate the situation.
On Vladimir Putin’s instruction, dozens of Russian missile attacks occurred this past week, striking nearly every major Ukrainian city. As winter approaches, the missile launches were intended to frighten the Ukrainian people as well as destroy vital civilian energy infrastructure.
The Washington Post published an editorial the day of these assaults urging the West to give the Ukrainians more potent air defense systems made in the US or Europe. The majority of the world is unaware of the outdated technology and restricted capabilities of the systems the Ukrainians are now using, according to the time I recently spent with the Ukrainian air and missile defense troops.
The top air defense command commanders I spoke with expressed overwhelming gratitude to Ukraine for its continuous supply of military assistance. One of them stated: “Having these contemporary weaponry is a long-term necessity and will be crucial to sustaining Ukraine’s security after this war. However, a more pressing problem exists in the interim because we must shoot down Russian missiles and combat planes on a daily basis, not in three or four years.
