Ukraine’s Vain Search for Wonder Weapons, by Doug Bandow

Wonder weapons can sometimes work wonders when you find them, but they don’t usually win wars. From Doug Bandow at theamericanconservative.com:

Recognizing that Ukraine might not win its war with Russia is the first step to formulating a better approach for America.

Even when President Joe Biden was visiting the fire-ravaged Hawaiian island of Maui, his attention was mostly on Ukraine, for which he was asking another $24 billion in assistance. His proposal hints of desperation. With Kiev’s highly anticipated counteroffensive running down with minimal success, Ukrainian officials are more loudly demanding more arms with which to revive their fortunes.

Indeed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sounds a bit like the Germans in 1944, who put their declining military hopes in “wunderwaffen,” or wonder weapons. German engineers achieved some notable successes, deploying jet aircraft and ballistic and cruise missiles, but technological miracles could not stem the irresistible flood of American, British, and Soviet forces. A Biden administration official addressed Ukrainian demands for F-16 aircraft and longer-range missiles: “The problem remains piercing Russia’s main defensive line, and there’s no evidence these systems would’ve been a panacea.”

The Zelensky government’s likelihood of achieving its stated aims, the defeat of Moscow and recovery of Ukrainian lands, including the Donbass and Crimea, looks increasingly small. For instance, reported the Washington Post: “The US intelligence community assesses that Ukraine’s counteroffensive will fail to reach the key southeastern city of Melitopol,” which, “should it prove correct, would mean Kyiv won’t fulfill its principal objective of severing Russia’s land bridge to Crimea in this year’s push.” Another news account found U.S. officials “increasingly critical of Ukraine’s counteroffensive strategy and gloomy about its prospect of success.” Ukraine’s efforts faintly echo the Battle of the Bulge, Nazi Germany’s last gasp offensive which consumed precious weapons, fuel, and manpower that could have helped delay the Red Army’s advance in the east.

At least Berlin didn’t suffer from allied armchair generals belittling its efforts. Kiev’s losses have been enormous, presumably greater than those of Russia, whose forces are displaying improved tactics, remaining on the defensive in prepared positions backed by superior artillery and air support. (Washington has long claimed that Russian casualties are higher, but allied assessments are dubious, relying on Ukraine’s carefully crafted estimates.) Especially gruesome has been the number of Ukrainians who have lost limbs, reminding observers of World War I.

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