Letters
Ukraine still has cards to play
Throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, I have found Alexander Smukler’s analysis to be interesting and inciteful. and Joanne Palmer has done an extraordinary job in organizing and presenting his views. However, I found the most recent article (“Mindichgate — is it checkmate?, November 28) to be problematic.
The war has reached a critical stage, and public pressure will likely play a key role in determining American policies. If the public sees Ukraine’s situation as hopeless, then it is likely that the pressure will be applied in the direction of ending support. It is therefore incumbent upon publications such as this one to give its readers as complete a picture as possible of the current situation.
Unfortunately, this article gave an extremely one-sided view of the war — Ukraine is losing on the battlefield, it is corrupt from top to bottom, morale is nonexistent, there is no electricity, etc. Meanwhile, no mention is made of the dire situation in Russia, which is facing its own extremely severe corruption, morale, fuel, and economic problems.
The battlefield situation is also not fully explained. Yes, Russia seems to be on the verge of controlling the town of Pokrovsk, but it has taken them 18 months and well over 100,000 casualties to get to this point. They have captured far less than 1% of Ukraine in the past year, yet the article conveys the strong impression that a collapse is imminent in which another 20% could fall next year. Many mainstream analysts disagree with that conclusion.
As to Ukraine having “no cards,” why is it that Zelensky can call every key leader in Europe and rally their support whenever he needs it? Why is the U.S. military receiving training in Ukraine on the latest innovations in drone technology which have been invented — by Ukraine?!
I hope this paper continues to cover the war and to present Mr. Smukler’s unique expert analysis. However, I respectfully request that future articles provide a more balanced assessment of the situation in Russia and Ukraine.
David Teitelbaum
Fair Lawn
Mr. Smukler responds:
Thank you very much for your insightful comments. I found your advice to be both useful and reasonable. As you may know, I have a strong sympathy for the heroic defense Ukraine has demonstrated over the past four years and always hope that the aggressor will fail.
Joanne and I have strived to cover the Russia-Ukraine war using unique sources from both sides to provide our audience with truthful information about the real situation on the front lines.
I agree with you that the last article was one-sided, and I will ensure that the next one provides a more balanced perspective. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve our coverage and deliver more comprehensive and balanced reporting on such a critical issue.
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