“Land for peace” sounds nice, but the president of Russia isn’t fighting for land. Putin is fighting to destroy Ukraine as a nation. When the next U.S. president takes office he will therefore face the same choices : help Putin win, or help him lose.
And until then? Biden should send all of the allocated weapons, let the Ukrainians hit targets in Russia with American and European missiles, and above all pressure the Europeans, finally, to release the $300 billion in frozen Russian assets. No time to lose. Gift link, from the Atlantic:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2024/11/biden-trump-ukraine/680632/?gift=hVZeG3M9DnxL4CekrWGK3-1_K7E1RdOWOBSJN46wpFA&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
@anneapplebaum
I am assuming when you say "release the $300 billion in frozen Russian assets", that you mean to redirect them, yes? The idea of allowing Russia access to $300B more money does not sound like an aid / benefit to the country that was invaded by the aggressors.
@nikatjef
The appropriate phrase is steal the assets. This action does immeasurable harm to credibility and safety of doing business with western banks and provinces where this can happen to your assets. Expect fewer countries to hold assets or do any business with them in future.
@anneapplebaum
@Bernard @nikatjef @anneapplebaum
Russian oligarchs and kleptocrats have a choice: keep their assets in Russia, a fragile economy and one where Putin can and does use state power to take whatever he wants, imprison or kill whomever he sees fit, and make it legal by decree.
Or they can keep it in the West, which they pretend to despise while choosing to live there, own luxury goods and homes there, send their kids to school there and to strut their wealth there.
The choice is up to them. And sanctions or no sanctions, they'll keep choosing as they do because the rule of law and orderly, democratic institutions are still a far safer bet them, even if there's a risk that the law won't go their way.
