Many times over the last two years, I have quoted Charles Krauthammer. I asked him once whether he thought Israel would survive. He said that the survival of Israel depended on two things: the will of the people to survive and the support of the United States. I believe, or have believed, that the same thing applies to Ukraine.
Lately, people have had to ask the question: If the United States abandons Ukraine — as many Americans are eager to do — will the support of the other allies be enough to keep Ukraine going? Without the United States, will Ukraine be able to repel the invader and hang on to its independence? Or will Putin swallow Ukraine, re-subjugating it?
That question may be tested very, very soon.
“Ukraine’s future is in the West’s hands.” So reads the heading over an article by the British defense minister, Grant Shapps. The subheading is: “The UK is in this for the long haul — and our fellow allies must step up too.”
The Kremlin has allies: China, Iran, North Korea, and the rest. Ukraine needs allies as well.
Mr. Shapps says the following:
We know that Russia’s prepared for a war of attrition no matter how many tens of thousands of its own citizens it loses, and that Moscow’s spending ever more of its resources on the ongoing conflict. …
… Ukraine has done an unbelievable job of repelling its invader. It has retaken 50 percent of the territory stolen by Russia, and opened up a maritime passage in the Black Sea.
But.
But Kyiv needs more support — and not just from the United Kingdom.
From the Free World at large.
The British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, was recently in Kyiv. He evidently has the Reagan–Thatcher spirit, and understanding, within him.
Another Briton, Tobias Ellwood, had a warning. (He is a member of Parliament and a former army captain, now a reservist, as Igor Sushko says.)
An Associated Press report out of Paris is interesting: “France ramps up weapons production for Ukraine and says Russia is scrutinizing the West’s mettle.”
Very interesting, too, was a visit — a surprise visit — from the foreign minister of an East Asian democracy:
Obviously, the Balts have a keen interest in the survival of Ukraine — and the repelling of Putin, as he seeks to reconstitute as much of the old empire as he can. The Balts are under no illusions about what the conquest of Ukraine would mean for them. The Ukrainians are on the front lines; the Balts are not far behind.
The Lithuanian foreign minister puts it plainly: