Recommendations of the Pentagon on the provision of lethal weapons to Ukraine - a serious turn in the US approach to resolving the crisis situation. I would call it a turn to sobriety. This opinion was expressed on the portal of Radio Liberty political observer Vitaly Portnikov.

When the Russian troops began to occupy the Crimea and the Donbass, many politicians in the West - including representatives of the administration of the White House - were categorically opposed to giving Ukraine lethal weapons. This was due to the reluctance to strengthen the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The problem was to be solved solely by means of sanctions pressure on Russia.

Sanctions are, of course, very important. Objectively, they contribute to the dismantling of the Russian regime, weaken the Russian economy, are a clear signal to the Russian elites, without a change in the course, the collapse is inevitable. But sanctions are a necessary, but insufficient, condition for restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine, for saving the world in Europe.

In Moscow, accustomed to attack the weak. So it was with Finland and Poland, with the Baltic countries and Hungary, with Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan, with Georgia and Ukraine. If Russia gets a resolute rebuff, its troops sooner or later withdraw from the occupied country. So it was with Finland after the war with her USSR in 1939-1940. Thanks to heroic resistance, this country not only retained its sovereignty, but also earned respect in Moscow. So it was with Afghanistan on the eve of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The heroic resistance of the Afghans and the constant losses in the occupation building forced the Kremlin to withdraw its troops from the country that Moscow already considered its colony.

But when they try to negotiate with Moscow - its soldiers and security officers are starting to crack down on people in the streets of peaceful cities. So it was in Budapest. So it was in Prague. So it was in the Crimea. So it was in Donbass.

Russian aggression can be stopped only by a strong Ukrainian army. Only the modern Ukrainian army can save Europe from a new war. And not because it will defeat the Russian armed forces, no. But because Russia will not fight with such an army. Because the Kremlin will no longer consider Ukrainians as "weaklings". They will understand that they are going to war, not to the parade. And they will do much more important things - for example, hunting for pike in the Tuva swamps.

After all, the pike will not receive a modern weapon, which will allow it to fight off Putin and Shoigu. Therefore, it is a beautiful object for the parade, for photographing with a trophy.

In the West should understand: Russia is governed by cowards. And cowards always attack only weak.