WTFness at the NYT
The spouse’s sharp eyes picked out a detail in a New York Times account of Ukraine’s surprise counterattack last week that sent its forces over the border into Russia:
Ukrainian troops sliced easily through a thinly defended border, pushing tens of miles into Russia and shifting the narrative of the war after a glum year in which Ukraine had struggled, often in vain, to hold back Russian advances across its eastern front.
By Monday, Ukraine’s commanding general had told President Volodymyr Zelensky that his troops held 390 square miles of territory in Russia’s southeastern Kursk region. Two dozen settlements were overrun.
You take some of our land, Vlad? Fine, we’ll take some of yours.
But that account from Monday is not what raised the wife’s ire. It was the story in Tuesday’s The Morning briefing by German Lopez on what Ukraine hoped to gain from the incursion: to “divert Russian troops from strategic locations,” to improve Ukrainian morale, to impress Washington, and “to shore up support abroad“:
Kyiv has relied on aid from Western nations to defend itself. But voters in those countries are no longer as enthusiastic about supplying Ukraine with weapons. Some leaders, including Donald Trump, have suggested they want to cut off the aid. A battlefield victory against Russia, even if it’s not strategically important, could get skittish supporters back on board.
“Some leaders, including Donald Trump”? And Trump is the leader of what?
Which leaders want to cut off aid?
Whose voters are “no longer as enthusiastic”?
An Eurobarometer poll released in early January showed 74 percent support for EU aid to Ukraine. An IPSOS/Euronews poll of almost 26,000 from 18 European countries released in early February found “36% of Europeans want aid to Ukraine to be a priority of the next European parliament. Another 36% see it as important but not a priority while it is a secondary issue for the remaining 27% of respondents.” Yes, Germany planned to cut its aid budget for Ukraine in mid-July when it appeared Trump was headed to victory, just days before Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race.
Yet despite far-right opposition to continuing aid to Ukraine, European Union governments voted overwhelmingly in July to continue support. Last week, the EU approved “the first regular payment to Ukraine of 4.2 billion euros ($4.58 billion) of the 50 billion euros the EU has set aside as financial support for Kyiv.”
WTF is going on at The Times?
“It’s an attempt to give Russia somewhat of a shock,” Times national security reporter, Eric Schmitt, told Lopez of the counterattack. Ukraine might want to use the territory to bargain for concessions:
To do that, Ukraine would have to actually keep what it takes. Given how overburdened its military is already, that may not be possible. And if Ukraine suffered heavy losses trying to hold foreign terrain, the incursion would amount to a disaster. “It’s a huge gamble on the part of the Ukrainians,” Eric said.
But Ukraine also has to plan for eventual negotiations with Russia. Trump has suggested that if he wins this year’s election, he will force Ukraine to work out a peace deal with Russia. That would likely require Ukraine to give up most or all of the territory that Russia currently holds.
That’s two references to Donald Trump and to what he might do as president regarding dropping aid to Ukraine in a 700-word Times story. No mention of Joe Biden, the actual president of the United States, or to VP Kamala Harris who for now looks on trajectory to rout Trump in November.
Again, WTF is going on at The Times?
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
For The Win, 5th Edition is ready for download. Request a copy of my free countywide GOTV planning guide at ForTheWin.us.