https://www.politico.eu/article/navalny-death-fails-to-move-the-dial-for-vance/
Ukrainians are “admirable people fighting an admirable conflict,” Vance told POLITICO in an interview. “But there’s a real lack of strategic clarity about what we're supposed to accomplish,” he said.
“We simply do not have manufacturing capacity to support a ground war in Eastern Europe indefinitely. And I think it's incumbent upon leaders to articulate this for their populations," Vance said. "How long is this expected to go on? How much is it expected to cost? And importantly, how are we actually supposed to produce the weapons necessary to support the Ukrainians?”
The death of Alexei Navalny, announced just as the conference was kicking off on Friday, has cast a dark shadow over the proceedings.
But for Vance it doesn’t change the calculus.
“Look, he was obviously an extremely brave guy. It’s hard not to admire him, but I don’t think it really changes the underlying dynamics," said Vance, a Republican from Ohio.
"It’s obviously a tragic event. But you have to go into this clear eyed," he said. "Putin is not a great human being, but that doesn't change what the strategic imperatives of the United States or Europe are. We know Navalny died, because we know Putin is a brutal guy, but I knew Putin was a brutal guy a year ago and I know he will be a brutal guy a year from now.”
“Any peace settlement is going to require some significant territorial concessions from Ukraine, and you're gonna have a peace deal, because that's the only way out of the conflict," he said. "We have to deal with reality.”
Ukrainians are “admirable people fighting an admirable conflict,” Vance told POLITICO in an interview. “But there’s a real lack of strategic clarity about what we're supposed to accomplish,” he said.
“We simply do not have manufacturing capacity to support a ground war in Eastern Europe indefinitely. And I think it's incumbent upon leaders to articulate this for their populations," Vance said. "How long is this expected to go on? How much is it expected to cost? And importantly, how are we actually supposed to produce the weapons necessary to support the Ukrainians?”
The death of Alexei Navalny, announced just as the conference was kicking off on Friday, has cast a dark shadow over the proceedings.
But for Vance it doesn’t change the calculus.
“Look, he was obviously an extremely brave guy. It’s hard not to admire him, but I don’t think it really changes the underlying dynamics," said Vance, a Republican from Ohio.
"It’s obviously a tragic event. But you have to go into this clear eyed," he said. "Putin is not a great human being, but that doesn't change what the strategic imperatives of the United States or Europe are. We know Navalny died, because we know Putin is a brutal guy, but I knew Putin was a brutal guy a year ago and I know he will be a brutal guy a year from now.”
“Any peace settlement is going to require some significant territorial concessions from Ukraine, and you're gonna have a peace deal, because that's the only way out of the conflict," he said. "We have to deal with reality.”
