R. Emmett Tyrrell: Bring On the Tanks

WASHINGTON — I have been following the pledging of combat tanks to Ukraine by the European allies. It is amazing. It is not exaggerated to say that Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine has provoked all of Europe’s fury. Even Portugal is getting in on the act.

It is past due for Putin to get to the negotiation table. Is Putin’s army of poorly-trained and armed soldiers a match for NATO? I doubt it.

In the late 1980s I had the opportunity to meet President Boris Yeltsin. He was the first democratically elected Russian president and probably the last. I met several Russian experts to help me prepare for the meeting. One of the most prominent was Robert Gates who was then the head of the CIA. They all agreed on one thing: Russia’s desire to be considered a European country. Before meeting the great man, I listened carefully to his Prokofiev. In a brief conversation, I mentioned my admiration of Russian culture and Russian literature to him. He seemed genuine gratitude and touched. Boris was indeed a European. I don’t know what Putin would have said. He could thump on his chest and let loose a yell.

Putin is not a fan of Prokofievsky or Dostoyevsky, I think. His knowledge of the arts is limited to self-defense. I still have a photo of him riding a horse somewhere in Russia’s outback. The photo did not show him wearing a shirt, and he was clearly showing how outdoorsman he was. He is an expert in martial arts, as I remember. These days are over. I believe he will not make it through 2023 without reaching room temperature. He may be today in the hands Kremlin quacks. Or he could be heading for a more abrupt end. It is impossible to lose more than 100,000 of your countrymen in wars of questionable value and still survive.

As I mentioned, I am impressed by the number of European nations that have volunteered combat tanks to Ukraine. They should have been volunteering earlier, but they are now making their way to Ukraine. As mild as it has been this winter in Ukraine, the tanks will be put to good use sooner than later. America will send 31 M1 Abrams combat tanks, which are among the most deadly tanks in the world. Britain, Poland, as well as a reluctant Germany, have all committed to sending 14 tanks. Britain will send its Challenger 2 tanks in just a few weeks. France is considering sending unspecified numbers of its Leclerc battle tank, while Norway is sending four German Leopard 2s and Denmark is sending 20 Swiss-made Piranhas. Spain, Finland, the Netherlands and others have promised to take action. Even Portugal, a tiny country, has donated four Leopard 2s. More European countries are yet to hear from them.

Over 100 heavy-armoured tanks are now on their way from Europe to Ukraine. According to the New York Times, Europeans maintain at least 2,000 additional Leopard 2 tanks on European bases. This is in addition to hundreds of other Western battle tanks. David Silbey, a military historian and author, says the Russians have thousands more tanks than they currently have. “the West will never manage a one-to-one match for those numbers. But, given the quality advantage of the Leopard or Abrams over even the most modern Russian tank, if the West could supply 500 to 1,000 tanks, it would make a massive difference to the Ukrainians and to the war.”

Russia has been in a bad spot since the destruction of their first tank in February. I believe they have gotten worse over the past few weeks. Never before has one European country seen so many of its neighbours against it. Hitler, by comparison, was much more popular, at most until the guns started firing. Henry Kissinger, a former US Secretary of State, presented last month a plan for negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. We should take Henry’s recommendation seriously.

Ukraine: Glory!

R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr., founder and editor in chief at The American Spectator, is also the author. He is a Senior Fellow with the London Center for Policy Research. “The Death of Liberalism,” Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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