Russian war against Ukraine disappeared from the front pages of newspapers. But it must remain at the forefront of Western thinking.. A brutal and unprovoked attack by Vladimir Putin could lead to the destruction of a sovereign, independent and democratic country that poses no military threat to Russia.. It could undermine the peace that Europe has enjoyed since World War II..

William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, writes about this on the pages of the Wall Street Journal.. He is convinced that the battle for Ukraine is another milestone in history. If the US and allies can successfully help Kyiv fend off Russian aggression, the global forces that support democracy and the rule of law will be strengthened.. And, quite possibly, this compensates for the decline of democratic governance in the world over the past decade.. If America fails, the autocrats will decide that the Democrats don't want to defend themselves.. The authorities in China, who are making plans for Taiwan, are also keeping a close eye on the Donbass.

Echoing sentiments across the West, President Joe Biden decided that the US should confront Russia without directly intervening in the war on the side of Ukraine..

“We don’t know if this self-imposed restriction will prevent Kyiv from succeeding.. But one thing is certain: we must give the Ukrainians every opportunity to do so.. To do this, America and Europe will have to take reasonable risks..

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For example, reports from the front line suggest that the long-range HIMARS systems that the US has begun sending to Ukraine could potentially make a difference.. Ukrainians use these weapons to destroy Russian armories and command centers along the front line.. In an artillery-dominated war, these systems could help Ukraine deter a Russian offensive and launch a counteroffensive.. The influence of HIMARS is already so noticeable that the Russian Defense Minister has named them a priority target..

“Sending many more of these weapons could temporarily deplete our stocks and reduce the readiness of some active units until production fills the gap.. While the Biden administration's timidity is understandable, it's still worth the risk.. Because the stakes are too high in Ukraine,” the author writes..

In another example, even though Iran is preparing to hand over hundreds of advanced drones to Russia to replace those already lost in the war, the Biden administration is hesitant to supply similar systems to Ukraine, fearing that Putin will see this as an escalation.. But evidence on the battlefield suggests that without drones capable of detecting enemy artillery positions, the effectiveness of HIMARS will diminish over time.. Replenishing Ukrainian stocks of drones in response to Russian actions is a necessary countermeasure that can be considered another example of reasonable risk.

Washington and its allies made the mistake of being too cautious. According to German foreign policy analyst Ulrich Speck, the West provides Ukraine with "

“The essence of the idea is that Russia does not win, but also does not lose,” Shpek said..

It is not known how convincing this idea seems in the Biden administration.. But it is quite popular among governments in Western Europe.. French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly insisted that Russia cannot be "

“But why supplying Ukraine with weapons for defense against Russia is suddenly called humiliation? The Treaty of Versailles, for example, imposed a humiliating peace on Germany, setting the stage for a subsequent world war.. But actions aimed at forcing the Russian army to retreat from Ukrainian territory, to which Moscow has no legitimate right, do not fall into this category,” writes Galston..

In his opinion, time is not necessarily on the side of Ukraine or the West in general.. The war has accelerated inflation, which was rising before. It stifles economic growth and increases the risk of a recession.. So far, Europe's efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian energy have come at a cost.. Europeans felt more pain than Russians. Many countries on the continent may not make adequate supplies to get through the winter. In this case, public discontent will grow.

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Support for Ukraine has a political price in Europe. Disputes about it led to the collapse of the ruling coalition of Mario Draghi in Italy. The government of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is slowly handing over weapons to Ukraine. And partly the reason is the ambiguous attitude towards this of different camps in his own party. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been a strong friend of Ukraine.. But he retired. And no one can guarantee that his successor will be as determined in supporting Kyiv..

Ukrainian successes on the battlefield before the end of the year will determine the fate of the country. Therefore, now is the time when the West should provide the Zelensky government with all the help it can: weapons, military training, money and strong moral support.. You can admire the tireless and courageous defense of the Ukrainians, but this is not enough. We need to help them turn the tide of the war and expel the invaders.. Now is not the time for half-measures or for talking about negotiations..