As West Warns of Russian Attack, Ukraine Sends Different Message

The ‘‘stay calm” posture has left analysts guessing about its leadership’s motivation, but some say that after eight years of war, the country simply calculates the risks differently.

Yeah, no kidding a different message.

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[Some analysts] attribute it to the country’s uneasy acceptance that conflict with Russia is part of Ukraine’s daily existence.

Stop. Is this "If rape is inevitable, lay back and enjoy it"?  I am not being sarcastic. Is Ukraine adopting Moscow's "posture" when faced with Napoleon?  Abandoning Moscow worked against Napoleon.

Already this week, Ukraine’s defense minister has asserted that there had been no change in the Russian forces compared with a buildup in the spring; the head of the national security council accused some Western countries and news media outlets of overstating the danger for geopolitical purposes; and a Foreign Ministry spokesman took a swipe at the United States and Britain for pulling the families of diplomats from their embassies in Kyiv, saying they had acted prematurely.

"Accused," "took a swipe." Okay, guys, U.S. and NATO guys: You need to give this serious thought. If, for WHATEVER reason, Ukraine does not want our help, then we should not give it. There is still doubt, I suppose, whether these are Ukraine's true feelings or whether they are Russia's tools. Surely, it cannot be too hard to determine genuineness. You have the defense minister, the head of the national security council and a foreign ministry spokesperson all saying similar things. Who is saying the opposite?

This week’s proclamations came after an address to the nation last week by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he asked, “What’s new? Isn’t this the reality for eight years?” On Tuesday evening, Mr. Zelensky weighed in on the embassy withdrawals, insisting that this “did not mean unavoidable escalation,” according to the Interfax news service.

And the president. A critical mass of Ukraine's leadership is coming down on one side only. If this is disingenuity, then Russia already has Ukraine. For U.S./NATO purposes, it's the same diff, I don't know how you can go against all of this.

How to interpret the threat from Russian troops and equipment massed at Ukraine’s border is a subject of intense debate. Ukraine’s own military intelligence service now says there are at least 127,000 troops on the border, significantly more than were deployed by Russia in the spring buildup.

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Even so, in an interview on Monday with the Ukrainian television station ICTV, Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, seemed to wonder what all the fuss was about.

...what all the fuss is about--Nice!

“Today, at this very moment, not a single strike group of the Russian armed forces has been established, which attests to the fact that tomorrow they are not going to invade,” Mr. Reznikov said. “That is why I ask you to not spread panic.”

There are different reasons for the disconnect in messaging between Ukrainian officials and their American counterparts, analysts say. Mr. Zelensky must be deft in crafting a message that keeps Western aid flowing, does not provoke Russia and reassures the Ukrainian people.

Okay, I reject that.

And after eight years of war with Russia, experts say, Ukrainians simply calculate the threat differently than their Western allies. ...

“We understand the plans and intentions of Russia; for us crying out from fear is not necessary,” Oleksii Danilov, the head of Ukraine’s national security and defense council, said in an interview with the BBC published Monday.

Mr. Danilov and others in the Ukrainian government argue that sowing panic and disarray within Ukrainian society is as much a part of the Russian strategy as any eventual military action. So showing fear, even if there is a basis for it, is only handing their enemies a victory before a single shot is fired.

Okay, I can (barely) understand that. Stalin didn't "cry out from fear" in the just-as-obvious buildup to Barbarossa either. A little "panic and disarray" in Ukrainian society is warranted here. But Ukrainians, tell us what you want us to do. U.S./NATO: There is RISK here for you. If Russia does invade, these Ukrainian worthies can point blame at YOU.

“The No. 1 task of Russia is the shattering of the internal situation in our country,” Mr. Danilov said. “And today, unfortunately, they are doing this successfully. Our task is to do our jobs in a calm and balanced environment.”

So you've got this, Mr. Danilov? Very well, keep calm and carry on.