THE FOLLY OF FIGHTING RUSSIA DOWN TO THE LAST UKRAINIAN – A TALK BY DANIEL BILAK. HAIRED BY SAVILIAN STEPHEN DALTON.

“This war is going to end exactly how Western policymakers decide it will end” Gen. Philip Breedlove (ret.), Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO (2013 – 2016)

Ukraine’s difficult circumstances are a consequence of the failure of the West’s (especially US) Ukraine policy during the full-scale invasion – the deliberate slow and incremental supply of weapons to Ukraine that often come too little, too late. Had the West been vested in Ukraine winning the war in 2022, liberating its own internationally recognized territory, and then joining NATO, European security would have been secured for generations ahead. Instead, paralyzed by putin’s weaponization of western escalation fears, Ukraine’s allies have forced it to fight a grinding ground war that they would never have fought themselves.

Worse, the West’s timidity is fueling global instability. Perceiving self-deterrence as weakness, Iran, North Korea, and China brazenly supply their russian ally with drones, missiles, troops, and equipment. By pushing for “peace” negotiations – a further sign of weakness – Ukraine’s partners will not alter putin’s final solution for the extermination of the Ukrainian people, culture, and identity – nor his intent to breakup NATO; subordinate the countries of Europe to russia’s will; and, with his allies, to recast the global order in their image.

Regardless of US policies towards Ukraine and NATO, Europe (including the UK) faces a stark choice – either militarily and financially support a Ukraine Victory now or face a revanchist russia in an infinitely more costly large-scale war in a few years. Nevertheless, by integrating Ukraine into a new robust European economic and defence architecture, Europe has auniquestrategic opportunity to confront russia and take control over its own long-term security.

Daniel Bilak is a partner with international law firm Kinstellar. For more than 33 years he has counseled clients in the Ukrainian defence, technology, infrastructure, and agribusiness sectors.

Daniel currently serves as a volunteer in the Territorial Defence Forces, the reserve branch of Ukraine’s military. 

Prior to joining Kinstellar, Daniel served as the chief investment advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine and headed UkraineInvest, the Ukrainian government’s foreign investment promotion agency.