Are we serious about helping Ukraine get through the crisis that is not yet over in eastern Ukraine?
Pro-Russian insurgents in eastern Ukraine have taken two government bases in battles around Luhansk, seizing quantities of ammunition and explosives from a border guards post and taking another installation after National Guard forces ran out of ammunition.
Yes, we may not need to ship in small arms ammunition. But assistance in figuring out how to protect the ammunition already there and how to distribute it to those who need it when they need it would be helpful.
On top of Syria, are we letting Russia demonstrate that their help is superior to our help? On top of keeping some troops poised on the border, Russia is helping the astro-turf separatists:
U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, also said Russian irregular forces, Russian-backed forces and Russian financing were very active in eastern Ukraine and "this has to stop".
You can be sure that Russian help to their side isn't restricted to socks and war surplus dehydrated pork patties.
President Obama may be prematurely declaring "mission accomplished," but Putin doesn't agree that the war is over.
UPDATE: Seriously, we need to help Ukraine win the current war against Russia for eastern Ukraine before we get too focused on preparing for the next war:
Pro-Russian insurgents captured three government bases in eastern Ukraine in a series of humiliating defeats for the beleaguered armed forces on Wednesday, as the president-elect promised new initiatives to help end the mutiny in the country's industrial heartland.
This war isn't over. I hoped that the election would be a decisive turning point in convincing Russia of the futility of fighting to pry eastern Ukraine from Kiev's control, but the Russians don't seem to be giving up.
Perhaps this is Russia's lesson from Syria. It wasn't too late to help Assad and it isn't too late to win the war for eastern Ukraine.
