Putin Timoshenko Meet
October 2, 2008 — Marshall Ivan Risidin
Vladimir Putin stated yesterday that it was sad a meeting proposed for improving relations would have to be conducted instead on the stage of conflict. He chastised Ukraine, represented by Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko for arming Georgia during the recent conflict. Additionally, Ukraine is currently preparing to send Georgia seven batteries of air defense missiles, modern tanks and other “offensive” equipment from its standing arsenal.
Putin emphasized that as long as such arms deals are transpiring, there is “no hope of amelioration”.
Marshall Ivan would add that Russia, despite heroic claims of swift battlefield victory, performed poorly in the field. Against a smaller but well coordinated Georgia, their lack of command and control together with anomalies in armament took too long and suffered too many casualties. It has been typical since before the October revolution [1917] for Russia to field a large show army. This penchant is described well in David Glantz’s aptly titled book, “Stumbling Colossus”. During World War Two, Stalin queried his officers about the German ability to fight “maloi krovyu”—meaning with “little blood”. His generals, despite brilliance occasionally, won by mass of numbers and industry, “ne shchadya zhertv”– sparing no casualties.
The point being Russia would not like to fight a better equiped army anywhere, certainly not a Ukraine admitted to NATO. What Russia intends to achieve will be sought by bluster and bluff. The US, thinks Marshall Ivan, with a small but effective army [smaller than the Israeli IDF] should learn to play chess as well.
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