By Erik Gartzke
The contrast between Ukraine’s remarkable defense of its homeland in the ongoing war with Russia and the rapid collapse of U.S-trained and sponsored government forces in Afghanistan — against the Taliban — is striking. What explains this difference in performance?
Observers point to a number of factors, while ignoring one of the most obvious. The now-defunct Afghanistan government had America’s big shoulders to lean on, and so it did. Kabul became dependent on U.S. protection and could not function without it. For its part, Ukraine has largely had to rely on its own people and ingenuity to defend itself.
The lesson is that military welfare does not work. A helping hand applied too vigorously is no more effective at the international level than at home. Put somewhat differently, Ukraine’s military effort has proven surprisingly successful (at least to date) in part due to limited Western intervention.
This piece was originally published in Washington Times on May 9, 2022. Read more HERE.