I don't know why the issue is a debate.
Failure to sell arms denies Ukraine the ability to carry out their sovereign right to defend themselves against aggression.
Failure to sell arms rewards Russian aggression.
Failure to sell arms destroys the credibility of the United Nations which promises collective defense against aggression.
Failure to sell arms in the long run may encourage Ukraine to side with Russia, thus erasing a buffer zone that keeps Russia farther from NATO.
Failure to sell arms encourages Ukraine and any other country that faces a more powerful enemy to own nuclear weapons to deter aggression. First the international community took away Ukraine's nukes and now it denies Ukraine conventional weapons and equipment? Really?
Why is there a debate? Is the West really content to let Ukraine suffer a low level of casualties forever in order to avoid offending Russia?
Sell arms to Ukraine to help them eject the invaders and send body bags back to Russia. That will change Putin's calculus.
UPDATE: The media is amazing. In this article about Ukrainian accusations that Russia has left troops in Belarus, the author writes:
Ukraine sees itself as being at war with Russia and has accused Moscow of sending troops and hardware to fight in the Donbass region, which Moscow denies. [emphasis added]
Are you effing kidding me? Ukraine "sees itself as being at war with Russia!"
Russia invaded Ukraine! Russia annexed Crimea and continues to wage war in the Donbas! Ukraine is at war with Russia!
In what conceivable alternate reality is it possible to say Ukraine merely sees itself at war with Russia rather than actually being at war with Russia since February 2014?!
And you wonder why I say that the "hybrid warfare" that so many waste time analyzing is nothing more than Russia invading a target; Russia denying they are invading the target; and the West largely going along with that lie?
If it isn't clear that Russia has invaded Ukraine, how can anybody oppose selling arms to Ukraine out of fear of offending Russia? When Ukraine could possibly be at peace or at worst fighting ghost troops who have nothing to do with Russia?
Sometimes the stupidity just burns.
UPDATE: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff thinks America should supply Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.
With all the armor the AstroTurf "rebels" have, this is a good idea.
And it reflects my view that big ticket items like armored vehicles aren't needed because Ukraine has the tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to put into service with the right support to update them.
