What should the U.S. do if Russia invades Ukraine?

You haven’t heard a strategy because you’re a random citizen with no security clearances.
Do you want us to nuke them? Send troops to die so we can give more soldiers applebees discounts?
Why do you need something to happen?

Here’s what Anne Applebaum, of The Atlantic, wishes the British foreign secretary had said at a press conference in Moscow last week:

”Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the press. I am delighted to join you after meeting my Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. This time, we have not bothered to discuss treaties he won’t respect and promises he won’t keep. We have told him, instead, that an invasion of Ukraine will carry very, very high costs—higher than he has ever imagined. We are now planning to cut off Russian gas exports completely—Europe will find its energy supplies somewhere else. We are now preparing to assist the Ukrainian resistance, for a decade if need be. We are quadrupling our support for the Russian opposition, and for Russian media too. We want to make sure that Russians will start hearing the truth about this invasion, and as loudly as possible. And if you want to do regime change in Ukraine, we’ll get to work on regime change in Russia.”

Worth a read if you can see it. I think you can read a few artcles before you hit a paywall.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/lavrov-russia-diplomacy-ukraine/622075/

To be honest, I could care less about the junk political arguments and typical media hash. This only matters because it’s very likely thousands of innocent civilian lives will soon be lost to a pointless war.

The US is doing all it can. The Europeans should do much more. The Russians need to do a lot less. And the Ukrainians have to do everything it takes to survive.

I would vote to remove temporarily Russia form the U.N. security council. Also sanctions world wide. The U.S. should not unilaterally act without N.A.T.O. and U.N. support.

I’d like to think that this is just sabre rattling, that Putin just wants to put up a big bluff to get something less significant or to feel relevant and important. I don’t think this is really the case, I think he is throwing out the cards to see what sticks, to look for weakness and find any advantages for his regime that are to be had. It’s a reckless move from an autocratic leader in his mid-life crisis. This is the kind of thing that seems to indicate Putin does not fully grasp the precarious nature of the situation he has created. This is not like the last invasion where he left a convenient “out” for the rest of the world. This is blatant, hostile aggression that we will have to meet with force if an invasion happens. If we let it stand then we’ll see this type of thing happen in other places like Taiwan.

Other than sanctions, Leave it alone

Go help the Ukraine.

@Blackberry I’m basically an isolationist, so you’re directing your ire at the wrong person.

I do not support getting directly involved in what could potentially turn into a world war. Though I can’t promise my position wouldn’t change in the event an actual invasion. It’s easier to say that before anything has happened.

In the name of democracy? Our economic interests? Or humanitarian issues?
Like you, I tend to believe we should stay out of it, like Europe in our Civil War. But that’s unlikely as we tend to be the world police when anyone calls for help.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States tragically blew what was probably the single opportunity to peacefully resolve the antagonisms dividing Russia from the West. Contrary to a rational and knowledgeable assessment of the historical realities of the region, our country simply proceeded on the assumption that Russia lost the cold war and would now cede its former satellites to orbit the “winners”. In so doing, we squandered the one astute and capable man in the history of the Soviet Union available for that goal—Gorbachev. It’s enough to make you cry.

Our country, once again, is paying the price for its brash ignorance and shamefully irresponsible appreciation of history in another part of the world. Our assessment of the current situation betrays either woeful ignorance or deliberate neglect of the historical relationship of Russia with Ukraine. In view of that relationship, who could possibly be surprised that Russia might march into Crimea when Ukraine is cozying up to NATO while the fucking Russian fleet is based in Sebastopol? Honest to God, if I were sitting in the Kremlin, I would be truly frightened of American stupidity.

Some of you might notice that this issue induces considerable agitation with me, but I would like you to envision this scenario in regard to Russia’s view of current affairs: Let’s say the cold war is still rampant only this time it is the United States that’s down on its heels. For the first time since the Second World War a President is elected who concludes the country can no longer afford to compete in the arms race and we urgently need to concentrate on solving our domestic problems. We withdraw from Nato. We can’t afford it. We then have the pleasure of watching the Warsaw pact poach Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands. Get the picture?

@HP – I think we all get your picture. It’s a self portrait.

Your moniker suits you.

@HP – Thank you Habitually Pissed.

Now let’s throw food.

No no. Not the Valentines day food. I have other plans for THAT! You can throw food. I’ll just hurl insults.

@HP – Let’s both try sending some love to Ukraine.

They’re gonna need it.

Agreed

@HP Although I agree with you, for the sake of argument let’s ask a few questions: is NATO a threat to take over Russia? Is Russia’s aggression justified (i.e. “we’ll invade Ukraine unless Ukraine agrees not to join NATO”)? Would such a guarantee even be a deterrent? Why does Russia get to set terms for another country’s alliance? The counterargument to what you’re saying that I’ve seen most is “Russia is a bully and needs to be stopped”.

However, ultimately I believe that if 2014 is the precedent (and I think it is), there will be no military response from Europe or the U.S. If Russia invades, I think it is likely we (the West) will let it happen.

Those are EXACTLY the points the rest of the world makes about us. Particularly that bit about the United States as the world’s bully. And yes, we will probably permit it. There are other aspects to this which are conveniently ignored. For instance, Gorbachev was only able to convince his government to allow the breakup of the union with the understanding that members of the block would specifically not be incorporated with NATO. We went back on our word. The American people may not have noticed. The Russians however quite understandably paid attention. You’re a historian with a top notch education. You must surely know that Ukraine has been integral to Russia since Catherine the Great. That Russian naval base was there before there was a United States. This situation we are in illustrates exactly the price we pay for our foolish isolation from the history of the world. We aren’t taught it. WE pay the fkn price, and it’s getting damned expensive.

And you and I may believe that NATO is no threat to Russia, but the Russians like everyone else with any sense (including you and I) understands that NATO is in fact the surrogate of Uncle Sam. For those of you who don’t believe it, ask the French. We Crack the whip. NATO makes the trip. The Russians and the world stare at that whip in the hand of that idiot they foisted on us and you want tell them that NATO is no threat??? GIVE ME A FKN BREAK. Sorry. I’m upset. I really am grateful that you brought this question up. I know that I’m vehement concerning it, but this is urgent shit.

That is the worst aspect of this. Just consider the behavior of what purports to be the leader of the free world. Who in their right mind would watch a FOX News broadcast, then conclude that leadership either sensible or deserved?

I think we need to put down the mantle of “the leader of the free world” and stop believing that bullshit. Because the US is weak and divided, Putin feels free to bully and invade. However, I do think we have a responsibility to work with our allies in NATO but somehow avoid going to war. Give me a nickel and I can ride the Staten Island ferry.

Not any more. And put yourself in Putin’s shoes. You watched the Soviet Union dissolve with the silly promise of democracy. There wasn’t a hope in hell of it happening minus the sort of assistance from the West we gave the Germans, the Japanese and every other participant in the war—except one! Instead, he and anyone who could, snatched as much as they could of whatever wasn’t nailed down and whisked it to hide in the West. He just took the abbreviated route to capitalism only with Russian “capitalists” the criminality is more or less out in the open.

@HP, @Demosthenes, and All – I thought the question here was “What should the US do if Russia invades Ukraine”, not “Why should Putin get to do anything he wants?”

And yeah, I get all the anguish over American foreign policy. We leave a mess. But the big problem I have with the claim that Russia is somehow the victim in the crisis we have now is that most of the “reasons” being cited don’t fit the facts. Example :
“Did NATO Promise Not to Enlarge? Gorbachev Says No”
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2014/11/06/did-nato-promise-not-to-enlarge-gorbachev-says-no/amp/

That’s only one misunderstanding/misrepresentation. There are others. Everybody here is free to speak mind and share their feelings, because we’re not living in Russia. But if you use history or current events to back up your opinion, please try to get the details straight.

That we should do nothing at all is a valid answer to this question. I welcome all discussion, including of how an invasion might be prevented in the first place. I asked this question because all I was seeing on other sites were comments about “weakness” and no discussion of what specific actions we should take.

And yes, also good to see fact-checking because this is a more complex topic than a lot of the talk is making it out to be.

@JLoon I’m not claiming that that NATO or anyone else formally ratified nor documented any agreement to prohibit NATO from soliciting memberships on Russian borders. And rather than waste time attempting to validate my position, I will cede the point and simply ask you whether it makes sense that the Russians would drop the Berlin wall and dissolve the Soviet Union with the CERTAINTY that their former allies would jump to join NATO and particularly the EU if merely for economic aid?

@Demosthenes Do nothing is the correct answer unless you count sanctions (which are pretty much useless against the people who matter). As I said previously, Putin merely has to maintain the THREAT of invasion to assure himself and the world that neither NATO nor the EU will touch Ukraine with a stick. He can wreck the place simply through starving it from investment, trade, tourism, you name it. If he rattles his saber loudly and long enough, it will be Ukranian refugees crowding EU borders, and it may very well be that it falls to Russia to “rescue” the land from disintegration.

And rather than what should the U.S. do, the question is what CAN the U.S. do? Because once again, it is the history of Russia and everyone else in Europe that we profoundly lucky and therefore clueless Americans underate, and that is Russia’s justifiable paranoia regarding its borders.

We must consider that invasion for Putin would be disastrous. He does not have our luxury of merely printing money to finance invasions. Nevertheless, he is making it loud and clear that if pushed, he will risk accelerated economic displacement and more to avoid the dissolution and absorbing of his buffers.

Sorry but I really have to disconnect from all this.

“Justifiable paranoia” as an excuse for armed attack and occupation of an independent nation, along with the usual “unavoidable” killing and displacement of unknown numbers of civilian noncombatants? Really??

Be sure to update all this very interesting discussion after the tanks roll and the shooting starts. Let everyone know why you believe the US has a moral responsiblity to prevent a humanitarian disaster.

If what I’m seeing here is an example geopolitical sophistication, I’ll keep being a clueless American.

Thanks. Im sure that`s the solution.

Russia ceased to be a democracy some years ago and is now an autocracy ruled over by one rather unpleasant man supported by a coterie of super rich oligarchs. I think the US should make it plain that it will stand by its western allies and will defend western values from external military threats. Putin is a bully and you have to stand up to bullies. One man presently held in a Russian jail has given up everything for his belief in western style freedoms. Do his beliefs burn more brightly than ours?