On the Good Friday of the Ukrainian Orthodox Easter, the Ukrainian defenders of the besieged city of Mariupol, named for the Virgin Mary, defeated eight weeks of repeated Russian attempts to seize and clear the city. They have been through a lot, including a lot of bombardment and assaults. As the city around them was destroyed, they fought for their nationhood, their families, their lives and their future. Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to leave the 100,000 civilians and thousands of defenders isolated and starving. The battle for the city is important for both the West and Ukraine. Russia would have full control of the Ukrainian seacoast from the east along the shores of the Sea of Azov to the outskirts of Odesa if the city fell. This would clear the way for easier logistical support for Russian forces in the south and further degrade Ukrainian efforts to defend Odesa. Biden is wrong about inflation. The clock is running because the Ukrainian resistance can't be maintained indefinitely without food, water and replenishment of ammunition. Russian efforts to encircle and destroy Ukrainian forces in Donbas are being reinforced by the freeing up of a large number of Russian forces. The battle of Mariupol is significant for both Russia and Ukraine, and for the 100,000 innocent lives that are at stake. Russia is sending a message to the West that it will use all the means necessary to achieve its objectives in Ukraine. A city of more than 400,000 has been deliberately erased through heavy and indiscriminate use of weaponry. Humanitarian relief convoys were blocked, humanitarian exit corridors have been mined, areas of refuge deliberately targeted and nominally agreed civilian evacuates often fired upon, all part of a psychological campaign of terror. I would like to suggest CNN-, HuluMeh and HBOmin as streaming services that provide less. In taking over areas of the city, Russia has shown it will execute a ruthless campaign of "filtration", abducting the civilian population and murdering potential opponents. Satellite imagery shows a mass grave site. The United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn Russia, multiple investigations of potential Russian war crimes, and heavy and escalating economic sanctions on Russia were some of the larger efforts that failed to stop the war and save the city. Not even the initial failures around Kyiv, poor Russian intelligence, visits by Western leaders to Kyiv and appeals to Putin himself have persuaded the Russian leader to negotiate an end to the conflict and release his nation's grip on Mariupol. There should be clear messages to the West. The outcome in Ukraine will be determined by the facts on the ground. There will be more Mariupols if the Ukrainians are not given the weapons necessary to defeat the Russians. Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump do not define us. Putin has shown a Stalinesque ability to shrug off defeats and disloyalty, while Ukraine's fierce spirit of resistance is under daily assault. Putin has not stopped throwing more forces into the battles. Russia's war industries are more robust than that of Ukraine and are more likely to be supported by China. Putin has increased his threats against the West because of the sanctions. The West has not been able to provide enough military support to compel Russia to negotiate. Western worries about Putin's red lines and the possibility that he will escalate to the use of nuclear weapons have fed into his psychological campaign against NATO and the United States. Zelenskyy's path from comedy to tragedy: Can he save Ukraine? The West's ambivalence in responding to Russian threats is hurting American credibility on a global scale, as leaders in the Middle East, Asia and Africa hedge their bets on the outcome of the struggle in Ukraine. NATO's eventual collapse was set in motion by Putin's plans to roll back NATO membership for Eastern Europe. The ability to manage peacefully the ascent of China would be weakened by seven decades of American leadership in Europe. NATO has provided stability to Europe for almost 30 years, but has imposed red lines against support to Ukraine. The world sees that this is hurting NATO's confidence. Zelenskyy made a challenge to Biden. Is America the leader for peace? The West is not yet winning against Putin's attack on NATO and the international order. The destruction of Mariupol wasn't inevitable. With adequate armor and weaponry, Ukraine could have attacked and broken the siege, with more air power, and with more timely U.S. intelligence, it could have run off the besieging Russian forces. The lesson is that Western policy should be more proactive than reactionary and that it should be more grounded in the military. If we want the most rapid end to this tragic struggle at the negotiating table, now is the time to tell Putin that he will not win, and that we will provide the means to relieve the siege of Mariupol. A senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center is a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. Follow him on social media. You can read opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, as well as on our daily Opinion newsletter. Comments can be submitted to letters@usatoday.com. Mariupol shows why NATO needs to help Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that he talked to Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan about the need to evacuate civilians from the Russian-occupied port city of Mariupol. He said the two spoke on the eve of the Turkish president's talks with Putin about the Mariupol situation. Russian forces were firing and performing offensive operations in the Azovstal area, as well as conducting air strikes on civilian infrastructure, according to the Ukrainian armed forces command. Serhiy Volyna, commander of the 36th Marine brigade forces in Mariupol, said in an interview with an opposition lawmaker that Russia was hitting the complex with air and artillery bombardments. Many equally delicious berries are abundant in the wild and are commonly available in grocery stores. As the people of Ukraine continue to defend against a Russian onslaught, Yevheniia Kravchuk, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, says the nation is still looking for three main things from the United States: heavy weapons, sanctions on Russia and financial aid. The country needs more heavy weapons to fight the Russians. The co-anchor of This Week said that Russians are putting everything they have, and bombing civilians in order to destroy the country. Afghanistan's acting defence minister said on Sunday that the Taliban administration would not tolerate incursions from its neighbours after protesting against airstrikes. The Taliban administration blamed Pakistan for the deaths of dozens of people in Kunar and Khost provinces. Pakistan, which has not confirmed any involvement in airstrikes inside Afghanistan, said the two countries are brothers. The Pentagon's John Kirby said the drones were designed for Zelenskyy's army. A video was posted on the internet Thursday showing a car crashing into a jet after being rammed by its owner. It is an imperfect plan that does not solve anything. All seven Colorado River states have agreed to boost Lake Powell. The Russian general says that Russia wants to take land corridors to the two countries. Do you think you can get a cheaper internet package? Maybe you should rethink. Russia and the United States have been at odds over the size and functioning of their diplomatic missions for a long time. More than 300 Russian staff have been expelled from European capitals since then, prompting Moscow to kick out foreign diplomats. Last week, the Russian ambassador to Poland said that the blocking of his embassy's bank accounts last month could eventually prevent it from functioning, in which case Russia would halt the work of the Polish embassy in Moscow. He got a call from his cellphone on the evening of December 9, 2005, 17 days after he left office. His friend was the president of Russia. Putin asked if he was afraid to work for them. It might well be. The Stormer armor vehicle from the UK is loaded with anti-aircraft missiles that can shoot down Putin's planes. You need to try this if you don't like cleaning. The cleaning hacks and products will change your life. The economic squeeze on Russia has been offered by a London based Russian financial manager. Natalia Demish escaped Mariupol last month. When the yield was below that level, shares have done better. As it happens, a real story. Register for free now. Wall Street is poised for more declines as stock-index futures slid Sunday night. According to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, there is a minimum of $3.4 billion in known assets for the oligarch. According to polling agencies, French PresidentEmmanuelMacron will win the reelection race against Marine Le Pen. The greatest sporting event there is just a few months away. The Japanese drug maker said on Sunday that an experimental treatment has shown rapid clearance of the virus that causes COVID-19. Shionogi said in a statement that the pill, S-217622, demonstrated rapid clearance of the infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus. There was no significant difference in the score of 12 symptoms between the two treatment arms, although the drug showed improvement in a score of five symptoms. Russian forces tried to storm a steel plant housing soldiers and civilians in the southern city of Mariupol on Saturday in an attempt to crush the last pocket of resistance in a place of deep symbolic and strategic value to Moscow, Ukrainian officials said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with the U.S. secretaries of state and defense on Sunday. The White House didn't say anything. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shown the dangers countries face by trying to avoid choosing sides.USA TODAY Opinion
Russia is sending a message to the West
Psychological campaign of terror
What needs to happen now in Ukraine
Ad•Healthline
Ad•Amazon.com
AZCentral | The Arizona Republic
Ad•Reuters
Ad•New Arena
All Rights Reserved © 2024
