Saw a reference to Zelensky being akin to Batman in the minds of western media pundits. If he were Batman, fighting who? Could be Joker, or Riddler or Penguin etc., but given Putin’s well-publicised way of dealing with opponents, I’d plump for Poison Ivy. Farfetched? You ain’t seen nothing yet. From comic-book allusions to the Australian newspaper in a single bound.
According to Greg Sheridan (23 March), Zelensky is “the most popular man in the world…our era’s Winston Churchill.”
Sheridan has a dream, which he shared, unfortunately. Best to keep your dreams to yourself and out of movies too. It consists of Biden stepping across the Ukraine border and meeting Zelensky. “The pictures would be everything – a meeting that would be in everyone’s interests. Priceless and immortal.” At this point I admit to being close to throwing up. The evident fan worshipping was a little over the top, shall we say.
But for it to really work Sheridan avers, “Biden would have to give Zelensky something.” He doesn’t specify what this something is, though he appears to rule out a no-fly zone or Migs as being likely gifts. What else? Another sanction or two would hardly move the needle. Seemingly, it would have to be big enough to make the Ukrainians fight even harder and to draw America closer to the conflict. To provide, “a further sign that the US thinks Ukraine can win.”
Win? Win what exactly? What would it look like? How much more death and destruction would take place in Ukraine before the Russians are pushed back to their border? And, what if the Russians don’t play ball and really start to blitz Ukrainian cities?
These western commentators are complete nincompoops. Bellicosity by proxy is their game, whatever the cost to women and children being shelled and bombarded.
We need a negotiated settlement. That’s where the efforts of politicians and journalists should be primarily directed. This isn’t WWII. Churchill was the greatest of men in his time. This isn’t that time.
Biden should be pressing Zelensky to play his part in seeking seek reasonable peace terms not feeding his appetite for war. Real life and realpolitik usually come together to forestall disaster. Idealism is best left for the afterlife. Putin may have to be rewarded, to some extent, for his aggression, even if that upsets Biden and Boris et al. Lives are at stake.
Leave a Reply