Post # 213, Bob McKnight's Florida Blog
What if Turkey sent Ukraine weapons and the U.S. and NATO replaced the weapons? Then Ukraine would be using Russian made weapons to fight Russia. That is poetic justice.
Dr. Paul Kobe is the Director of the Intelligence Project at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He was a Central Intelligence Agency operations officer for 25 years. He recently wrote a provocative Op Ed in the Wall Street Journal that caught my attention.
Dr. Kobe points out that Ukraine is badly in need of antiaircraft weapons and Turkey has some it should get rid of--Russian made, purchased four years ago. The U.S. was so upset with Turkey's purchase in 2018 that it stopped selling the most sought-after American made F-35 fighter jets.
How's this for a smart move?
The U.S. helps Turkey send the Russian made antiaircraft weapons to Ukraine ASAP.
The U.S. then offers Turkey American made replacement weapons and re-commences the sale of F-35's to Ankara. NATO through the countries of Bulgaria, Greece, and Slovakia also can help replace Turkey's weapon system sent to Ukraine.
This exchange would repair the fragile relationship between the U.S. and Turkey as well as the other countries in the region.
The U.S. could begin re-selling American made sales (and jobs) of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
This decision isolates Putin and Russia for what they are - bullies against the little guy. Now the little guy has friends and they surround Russia.
You probably noticed that this is essentially the strategy previously discussed with Poland. They were going to send Ukraine MIG fighter jets, to be replaced by U.S. fighter jets. That plan was rejected for logistical reasons. The Turkey plan is much more straight forward and probably very doable.
Also last week the U.S. Pentagon sent to Ukraine some of Russia's own air defense equipment to use on Putin. The Ukraine military are familiar with the equipment so it will be used as soon as it is available. The equipment was secretly hidden at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
It is ironic for Ukraine to use Russian made anti-aircraft weapons to attack Russia. NATO and Putin's neighbors helped make it happen. Poetic Justice.