How Waltz is Wrong

On the ABC’s This Week Martha Raddatz asked Mike Waltz this question:

RADDATZ: So Russia could be given the Donbas in addition to hanging onto Crimea even though they invaded Ukraine?

MIKE WALTZ: We have to ask ourselves, is it realistic — are we going to drive every Russian off of every inch of Ukrainian soil, including Crimea?

The answer is not so simplistic. Plus, it is not really an answer to the question that was asked. There are ethnic Russians, many of whom have lived in the Donbas for more than a generation, many of whom identify more as Ukrainian than Russian even though their everyday language is Russian, who should be given a choice to go back to Russia or remain Ukrainian. The ethnic Russians living in the Donbas have been living, along with their Ukrainian neighbors, with the hell rained down on the Donbas by Russian aggression since the beginning of this war. Ethnic Russians will need to determine their loyalty and either stay in Ukraine as Ukrainians, or return to Russia.

Likewise, there are Russians and Tatars in Crimea who are in the same predicament. Waltz does not even mention or apparently take into account the Tatar voice.

This is a matter that Ukraine and the ethnic Russians and Tatars who consider themselves more Ukrainian than Russian will have to sort out after the sovereignty of Ukraine has been secured. And they will sort it out in a civilized way because they have lived as neighbors for hundreds of years.

Mike Waltz’s answer is too simplistic. It doesn’t take these historic and actual facts into account. Waltz really should do his homework and come to an understanding of Ukraine since he is trying to appear to be a diplomat. A diplomat without knowledge and understanding is not much more than a tool.