Whose Vietnam is Ukraine?

For good reason, John McCain still draws scorn from Trump supporters but he did say of Putin, “When I looked at Putin's eyes, I saw 3 letters: K-G-B.” McCain’s words refer to Bush 43’s praise of Putin when the two first met at a summit in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on June 16, 2001. Bush 43 said, “I looked the man in the eye. I found him very straightforward and trustworthy — I was able to get a sense of his soul.” Then the lights dimmed and Andy Williams sang the theme from Love Story.

Where do I begin?
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love he brings to me
Where do I start?

Nearly 22 years later, Putin still is in power and George Walker Bush is in obscurity. Putin also is in Ukraine, which some Americans see as a Vietnam. I merely ask, whose Vietnam is Ukraine?

Time magazine is sure Ukraine is Putin’s Vietnam. On June 9, 2022, Time published a column by Admiral James Stavridis (Retired), who was the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, “The Ukraine War Is Becoming Putin's Vietnam.”