New American Lend-Lease Program Sends Powerful Signal To Russians – OpEd

By

The US decision to establish a lend-lease program for Ukraine not only is “a very strong signal” that it will be supporting Ukraine over the long haul but also that an indication that the West is beginning to appreciate the crimes Putin’s war in Ukraine is committing that that in Russia itself is in deep trouble, Valery Kravchenko says.

Most people have focused on the way in which this new program will help Ukraine, not only by making it far easier for Kyiv to acquire more weapons but to begin training on those it may receive in the future, the director of Kyiv’s Center for International Security says (graniru.org/War/m.284921.html).

Those possibilities have been much discussed in the days since the Americans chose to revive a program they have not used since World War II. But the impact on Russia is broader than just that of the increased military capacity of Ukraine which will allow the latter’s forces to inflict far greater harm on the aggressor.

Even today, Russians remember that “thanks to lend lease, the Soviet Union defeated fascism” in World War II. But now they see lend lease is being used against Russia.” This sends “a strong message” that the war in Ukraine is not going as Moscow claims and that “the whole world” is now united against it and will remain so.

Lend lease is based on the proposition that the conflict will last for some time and that the West has to be in a position to ramp up assistance as needed and not be limited by Ukraine’s own ability to pay. That is perhaps the most important aspect of this program, Kravchenko continues, because it shows that the West will support Ukraine to the end.

“It is possible,” he says, that “the Russian economy will die much sooner. I would like to believe this and then the flow of money for Russia’s war will run out and centrifugal movement in Russia itself among the elites will being, possibly among the second echelon of generals who will end this insane war.”

It is, of course, even possible that things won’t have to go as far as that.

Paul Goble

Paul Goble is a longtime specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia. Most recently, he was director of research and publications at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Earlier, he served as vice dean for the social sciences and humanities at Audentes University in Tallinn and a senior research associate at the EuroCollege of the University of Tartu in Estonia. He has served in various capacities in the U.S. State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency and the International Broadcasting Bureau as well as at the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mr. Goble maintains the Window on Eurasia blog and can be contacted directly at [email protected] .

3 thoughts on “New American Lend-Lease Program Sends Powerful Signal To Russians – OpEd

  • April 18, 2022 at 7:45 am
    Permalink

    There are an estimated. 13 million men between the ages of 18 and 60 in Ukraine. They are willing to fight to death in defense of their country. It’s the modern equivalent. of the American Revolution albeit without a Declaration of Independence or a Common Sense pamphlet. VPutin is King George and his imagined Soviet is a British empire metaverse.

    Reply
  • April 18, 2022 at 7:58 am
    Permalink

    A NATO Naval Blockade, No Fly Zone, and every F-35 that can fly should be sent. ASAP!!

    Reply
  • April 18, 2022 at 1:28 pm
    Permalink

    Lend lease went well for the UK in the second world war. It allowed the US Rob the UK blind, bankrupt the country and led to the end of British dominance in the world. It was also a democratic government in the US at that time. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts or in this case USA administrations. The US government don’t do anything for anybody unless there’s something in it fir them.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Andy Miller Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *