ANALYSIS: The cost of war continues to climb in Ukraine

As the war in Ukraine marches on, casualties on both sides mount.

Thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed, along with massive losses of their war-fighting equipment. Families of deceased soldiers from Ukraine and Russia are reeling from the news that their loved ones died in battle. Graveyards are the final resting place where headstones mark each grave with the memory of a loved one. Families solemnly visit graves to mourn and remember the deeds of their soldiers.

The human tragedy for Ukraine is much higher. Civilians are being slaughtered wholesale by the Russian army. Attacks are destroying neighborhoods, towns and cities. A recent attack on a shopping mall and a railroad station reflects that Comrade Putin is carrying out his promise of a successful annexation of Ukraine. Moreover, he said that the chaos of terror of falling bombs and artillery rounds on the innocents would soften the resolve of the Ukrainian people and their government.

Recent news reports say that Putin wants to take back Alaska. Really? If memory serves, the Russian Empire sold it to the United States for $7.2 million through a treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate and transferred to us on Oct. 18, 1867. The sale is known as “Seward’s Folly.” As a result, Alaska became a state in 1959 and added the 49th star to our flag. Also, in 1959, Hawaii became a state and added the 50th star to Old Glory.

So, now Putin wants to start a war with the U.S. to annex Alaska? I think he knows that military forces in Alaska are well prepared to repulse any attack. Air Force B-1 Bombers are on standby to neutralize his advance, and the bombers have a short path to Mother Russia if need be. In Ukraine, however, the U.S. is restricted from entering the battle. If we did enter the war, American B-52 bombers stationed in NATO countries would make short work of the Russian invasion forces.

Besides the human tragedy of the war, the financial cost to both Ukraine and Russia is devastating, not to mention the cessation of food production and delivery of available food products to countries of the world. But unfortunately, I suspect that the crazed Putin did not calculate that in his invasion plans.

Another thing to consider is donating money and armament to Ukraine from the U.S. and NATO. Billions of dollars in cash, humanitarian aid, weapons and ammunition have been sent to Ukraine to help them defeat the Russians. Also, the combined donations from countries worldwide would probably be enough to modernize their infrastructure, including farming, roads and bridges, communications, education, and everything governments prioritize in their spending packages. It’s an ongoing challenge for sure.

In better news, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations have recently reached a preliminary agreement to open three trade ports in the Black Sea that the Russian navy has blockaded. A cease-fire agreement by Russia will open shipping lanes to allow merchant ships safe passage to alleviate the global food crisis. Ukraine is one of the world’s leading exporters of grains and cooking oil and will be able to export its harvest to countries worldwide. Many of them depend on the shipments for their food supply.

Hopefully, Putin will soon end the war and let Ukraine and the world get back to normal. I’m sure the Russian people would be in favor of that. Pass the vodka!

Jack Evensizer is a resident of Dalton Gardens and a veteran of the U. S. Army Infantry.