Ukraine the indomitable

Boston Globe

8 hours ago

This was not just another maneuver in a long and grueling war. It was a masterstroke of ingenuity, courage, and asymmetrical warfare — and it should erase any remaining doubt about three critical truths.
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First
, Ukraine's tenacity is not merely impressive. It is inspirational. From the earliest days of the full-scale Russian invasion, when Kyiv refused to fall and
'Victory,'
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Second
, no army on earth today is more experienced in fighting a modern war against a nuclear-armed dictatorship than Ukraine's. After years of trial by fire, its military is arguably the most battle-hardened and tactically innovative in the Western sphere. The Ukrainian armed forces have combined Cold War-era equipment with
When Russian invaders
Third
, it is long past time for Ukraine to be admitted to NATO.
Yes, even while the war is ongoing.
Especially
while the war is ongoing.
In the more than three decades since the Cold War ended, no country has shown more loyalty to the West, or more bravery in its defense, than Ukraine. NATO membership wasn't designed to be a reward for good behavior; it is a security pact for mutual protection. Who better to bolster that pact than the Ukrainians, who have been fighting and dying on the front lines of freedom for more than three years, yet have not asked any other nation to risk the life of a single soldier in Ukraine's defense? On the contrary: So advanced is Ukraine's frontline expertise in resisting Russia that its army is now being enlisted by NATO members to instruct
their
troops. It was announced in April, for example, that teams of Danish soldiers are to be sent to Ukraine for training in drone combat techniques.
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President Trump has treated Ukraine with shocking callousness and
Trump has
In the weeks since then, as National Review's Jim Geraghty
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Analysts have been
But Ukraine has already achieved far greater success in the face of overwhelming odds than anyone believed possible. Again and again it has not just survived to fight another day but has discovered new ways to shift the military balance against a deceitful, murderous enemy.
Each time Ukraine beats the odds, it is the entire free world that stands taller. After Operation Spiderweb, it should be clearer than ever that there is no legitimate justification to withhold from Ukraine all the tools and diplomatic support we can provide. Because there is no future in which America and the West are better off if Ukraine loses.
Jeff Jacoby can be reached at