What a difference a government makes. Starting in Viet Nam and ending in Afghanistan, we supported governments with no popular support. No matter the amount of military training and equipment, like humpty dumpty, those governments fell, and could not be put back together. When we prop up an unpopular leader we fall.
Ukranians love and respect Zelensky. Short of risking a nuclear confrontation, we benefit from every weapon we supply to Ukraine. With little effort on our part, a rogue state is drained of men, material and prestige. Each tank that is stopped, each plane that is downed, is one less weapon aimed at our European allies.
A no fly zone risks armed confrontation with Russian planes. That is a no go. But supplying aircraft protects Ukraine and furthers our objectives. We preserve a democracy on Putin's flank and decimate his air force.
We can do more. We should stage a large NATO exercise as close to Moscow as possible. A paranoid regime will counter by deploying forces between NATO and Moscow. This will preclude sending additional troops to Ukraine, and may even precipitate a partial withdrawal.
Ukraine was already a friend. But the enemy of our enemy, is an even better friend.
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