At a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House on December 1, US President Joe Biden said: “I’m prepared to speak with Mr. Putin if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he’s looking for a way to end the war. He hasn’t done that yet.” However, Biden did not say anything about the conditions under which he would meet with Putin. Meanwhile, winter conditions are getting worse and Ukraine's energy infrastructure is about to collapse as a result of Russia's attacks. Concerns that the war will prolong are deepening.
Moreover, everyone knows that the U.S. is waging a proxy war in Ukraine. Ukraine cannot continue the war without the help of the United States. The end of the war in Ukraine is largely in the hands of the United States. Washington, on the other hand, always throws the ball to Kyiv, pretending that this is not the case.
"General Winter," seen by many as Russia's best ally, corners Europe. So much so that an article published in the New York Times included the phrase "Russia is weaponizing winter". Hard times await Europe, which is dependent on Russia for energy. Since the U.S. is rich in energy, the Europeans bear the brunt of the sanctions against Russia, of course.
Of course, there are some voices in the U.S. Congress regarding the limitation of Washington's aid to Ukraine. American hawks, on the other hand, are suggesting that Ukraine should continue the war until the last soldier and that U.S. aid should not be disrupted.
As the title of his article suggests, Cordesman sees U.S. aid to war-torn Ukraine as an "investment." According to Cordesman, US expenditures are at symbolic levels compared to the economic burden brought on Russia by the Ukraine war. In his article, Cordesman openly states that the US is waging a "proxy war" with Russia in Ukraine. Cordesman admits that the European allies of the US have suffered much more than the Americans from the economic consequences of sanctions on Russia and the rise in global energy costs.
Claiming that Russia has not given any indication of negotiations, Cordesman emphasizes that the United States should be ready to increase the level of aid to Ukraine and to give Kyiv more deadly and more advanced defense systems. According to Cordesman, the “war in Ukraine” also provides invaluable insight to the United States and NATO by exposing Russia's military weaknesses.
Again, according to Cordesman, the U.S. cannot afford to lose the proxy war it is waging in Ukraine. Such a result would send a false signal to the U.S.'s allies around the world. Likewise, this proxy war will be a clear message to China about Washington's determination in the Indo-Pacific.
Cordesman points out that the economic cost of the war, which is likely to be prolonged, to Ukraine may exceed “$1 Trillion”. In other words, great troubles await Ukraine after the war. Cordesman doesn't seem to care. According to him, a “proxy war” is a situation in which the U.S., like China and Russia, will continue to make major strategic gains by weakening one of its two main threats. So, unfortunately, the light of that, prospect for peace on the horizon for Ukraine is very faint.
