The U.S. administration’s war against fossil fuels at home is overshadowing the far more deadly and perilous war against Vladimir Putin’s aggression.
At this critical moment, heavy weapons and more of everything are what’s needed for the Ukrainian military to counter and defeat the new Russian offensive in the Donbas. But what about the next few weeks, months, and potentially, years? The chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, has stated the war could drag on “for months, maybe years.” In any event, Europe is already hell-bent on getting out from under its dependence on Russian energy. We should be helping them, not begging for (mostly dirtier) energy from places like Venezuela, Iran, and OPEC+, which includes Russia.
The Russian war machine gets some $1 billion/day for its oil and gas from Germany/the European Union. Ironically, Russia’s invasion has led to a spike in prices, which benefits its war effort. This can only be countered with a boycott of Russian oil and gas and sharply increased deliveries of energy products to the EU from elsewhere, the United States being the main source. Arming the Ukrainians while providing Russia with the money to wage war against them is not a winning formula.
