Opinion by David Ignatius: Delivering weapons — and holding back — on “the forward edge of freedom”
are staying safely across the border, determined to avoid a direct military confrontation with Russia that could turn this into a cataclysmic world war.Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited this weapons-transfer facility Friday as part of his visit to Europe to bolster American support for Ukraine and NATO. At every stop, he’s walking the same tightrope: Support Ukraine’s war against Russia — but contain that war within Ukraine’s borders.
During a briefing at the division’s operational headquarters in Rzeszow in southeast Poland, Milley heard a grim update on what might be ahead in Ukraine as Russia accelerates its invasion. One analyst assessed that Kyiv could be isolated in four to six days. The battle for Kyiv would then become a desperate street-to-street battle as Ukrainians fought to save their capital.
Milley flew by Blackhawk helicopter to a Polish base in Nowa Deba, where American troops are helping train Polish forces. As Polish tanks rumbled in the distance, Maj. Gen Christopher T. Donahue, the division commander, explained the mission to me and two other journalists traveling with Milley: “We’re out here to assure and deter,” he said. He stressed the growing ability of Polish and American forces to operate jointly, sharing radar and other data.
As he departed, Milley told the American troops, “You are sitting at the forward edge of freedom.” Those sounded like fighting words, but in the next breath, Milley said: “We want to keep the confrontation contained in Ukraine.”That’s the paradox of America’s commitment to Ukraine: Stop the Russians without fighting them. Check Putin’s aggression, but give him a way out before the situation gets any more dangerous.