Luke Coffey & Peter Rough, Hudson Institute: “The shortest and most direct path to victory for Ukraine runs through Crimea, so US policymakers should arm, train, and equip Ukrainians accordingly”

One of the leading US think tanks has published a report called “A Strategy of Courage: The Next Phase of the Russia-Ukraine War”. Among other things, the document is dedicated to Crimea. Senior Fellows Peter Rough and Luke Coffey argue why the US should help Ukraine in liberating the Crimean peninsula as well as other Russian-occupied territories.

“While its progress on land was limited last year, Ukraine is winning the Battle of the Black Sea… US policymakers should recognize that the shortest and most direct path to victory for Ukraine runs through Crimea—so they should arm, train, and equip Ukrainians accordingly.”

“Russia’s war on Ukraine began with the annexation of Crimea, and it will only end when Ukraine regains control of it. Without the liberation of Crimea, Ukraine will never be safe. The occupied territory is Russia’s key staging ground and resupply base for operations in southern Ukraine. As a first step, Ukraine needs to deny Russia the freedom to operate from Crimea.” 

“Ukraine’s success against Crimean targets and the Black Sea Fleet has been largely due to a combination of Ukrainian creativity and Russian vulnerability. It is time for the US to help Ukraine build on its successes and add to its momentum.”

“The only way to force Putin from his objective is to give Ukraine the means to beat him on the battlefield. This is not an impossible task, but it requires the US to keep its nerve, recognize the stakes, and identify the path ahead. Now is the time to act.”

“The US and its allies need to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons that can hit transport links, logistics and supply depots, and military bases everywhere in occupied Ukraine, as well as critical locations inside Russia that enable the Kremlin’s war effort…. The US and its allies should also work closely with Ukraine as it develops its indigenous drone capabilities to strike deep into the Russian Federation. Washington should rapidly review any export controls or other bureaucratic obstacles that prevent the US from fully assisting Ukraine’s unmanned platform development and remove the roadblocks if possible.”

Read full report https://www.hudson.org/defense-strategy/strategy-courage-next-phase-russia-ukraine-war-peter-rough-luke-coffey