Ukraine Invasion: US Leadership Critical to Halting the ‘Destruction of Peace’

Published in Mainichi Shimbun
(Japan) on 9 March 2022
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Dani Long. Edited by Michelle Bisson.
As Russia’s attack on Ukraine intensifies, the U.S. and Europe are intensifying their own diplomatic offensive. The fight for Ukraine is showing signs of being a prolonged campaign, calling for even more pressure to be put on Russia.

Civilian casualties continue to increase and the number of Ukrainian refugees is ballooning. It is not normal for residential and urban areas, and even nuclear power plants, to become the target of shelling.

In response, the U.S. and Europe have focused on strengthening sanctions against Russia; international businesses have followed suit. The international community has demanded an immediate halt to the attack on Ukraine.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to listen and continues to threaten a “relentless fight.” He has to cease this behavior immediately.

“Freedom will always triumph over tyranny,” said U.S. President Joe Biden in a speech to Congress last week. He enumerated Putin’s “miscalculations” regarding the invasion and remarked that Putin had “met a wall of strength he never imagined. He met the Ukrainian people.” In his speech, Biden expressed his intention to fully support Ukraine.

However, there have been some “miscalculations” on the part of the United States as well. Confidential information was made public and efforts were made to prevent the invasion of Ukraine, but Putin went ahead with the attack anyway.

Russia perceives the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan as a sign of U.S. decline. Because of this, there is a faction that believes that there will be no retaliation for an invasion in Ukraine.

The United States has a heavy responsibility. A comprehensive strategy is needed to obstruct Putin’s path.

First, it must strengthen the defensive abilities of its European allies and increase support for Ukraine. This will bolster foreign relations that put the brakes on Russia’s actions.

The U.S. military has provided large amounts of weapons and equipment for waging ground warfare to Ukraine. It’s essential to show solidarity with Ukraine through actions that will not yield to the invasion.

The U.S. and Europe are considering bans and sanctions on Russian oil. The aim is to strike a severe blow to the Russian economy but it creates a sudden increase in crude oil prices and would impact the world economy.

The key is the Middle Eastern countries. The U.S. should reexamine policies in order to develop better relationships right away with countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have been deepening their respective relationships with Russia.

Russia is strengthening its ties with dictators in Africa and Central and South America through various means, including arms trade. Efforts to cut this off are also needed.

The path to restoring freedom and overthrowing peace-destroying tyranny is steep, but we must not be disheartened. It would not possible without U.S. leadership.


ウクライナへの攻撃を激化させるロシアに対し、米欧が外交攻勢を強めている。戦闘は長期化の様相を呈している。一段の圧力が求められる。

 民間人の犠牲者は増え続け、避難民が膨れ上がっている。砲撃は都市部の住宅街に及び、原発すら標的になる異常事態である。

これに対し、米欧が中心となって制裁を強化し、グローバル企業も次々と同調した。国際社会は攻撃の即時停止要求を突きつけた。

 だが、プーチン露大統領は聞く耳を持たず、「容赦ない戦い」を続けるとすごむ。暴走を一刻も早く止めなければならない。

「自由は必ず独裁に打ち勝つ」。バイデン米大統領は先週、連邦議会での演説でこう強調した。プーチン氏の「誤算」を列挙し、「思いもよらぬ力の壁に直面した。ウクライナ国民だ」と述べ、全面支援する意向を表明した。

 ただし、米国にも「誤算」があったことは事実だろう。機密情報を公開し、侵攻を阻止しようとしたが、抑止の壁は突き破られた。

ロシアは米軍のアフガニスタン撤収を米国衰退の兆候と捉え、ウクライナに侵攻しても報復されないと見くびった節がある。

 米国が担う責任は重い。プーチン氏の行く手を阻むための包括的な戦略が必要だ。

 まず欧州の同盟国の防衛力を強化し、ウクライナ支援を増強する。これをてこにロシアの動きに歯止めをかける外交を展開する。

米軍は地上戦に有効な兵器や装備を大量にウクライナに提供している。侵攻に屈しないという連帯を行動で示すことは重要だ。

 米欧はロシア産原油の禁輸制裁を検討している。露経済を痛撃する狙いだが、原油価格の高騰を招き、世界経済への影響は大きい。

 カギを握るのは中東諸国だ。ロシアとの関係を深めるサウジアラビアやアラブ首長国連邦を再び米国側に引き寄せるために、政策の見直しを急ぐべきだ。

 ロシアは武器取引などを通じてアフリカや中南米の独裁国家とのつながりを強めている。これを断つ取り組みも求められよう。

 平和を破壊する独裁を倒し、自由を回復する道のりは険しいが、くじけてはならない。米国の指導力なくしてその実現はない。
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