War in time is gradually replacing war in real space

Russia's war against Ukraine has actualized four orders of modern military knowledge. 

In 1971, there was a well-known story: Henry Kissinger, then the U.S. National Security Advisor, fell "ill" during a two-week trip to Asia while in Pakistan and went into seclusion for a few days to "recover." In reality, he secretly flew to Beijing during that time.

But why am I bringing this up? Despite Russia's barbaric and treacherous war, the mechanisms of the 21st century differ from those of the 20th. That’s why I mentioned the example of Kissinger. Back then, a secret flight and negotiations were already a part of the success of the approach. In other words, there was enough "space," so to speak, rather than time.

Russia's war against Ukraine (and the related processes) has highlighted four areas, so to speak, of modern military knowledge, which I often write about and will emphasize again:

1. Strategy: Geopolitics and long-term goals; the importance of moving in the right direction; combining space and time.  

2. Tactics: Assessing one’s own strengths and the enemy's; timing of actions; the importance of synchronizing various military and other activities.  

3. Logistics: Knowledge of the terrain and enemy supply chains; preemptive steps before direct military actions.  

4. Timing: The timeframes for decisions and actions, which can either nullify efforts or make them successful.  

“War in time is gradually displacing war in physical space. The same applies to the path toward peace - I’m talking about the timing and sequence of decisions. While Russia is currently deploying all possible resources to attack Ukrainian cities, the West is discussing ways to end the active phase of the war.”

For us, two components are paramount.

1. In the event of a "frozen conflict," Ukraine must retain the capability and path to reclaim its territories. This raises the immediate question (timing again) of which territories should or must be reclaimed through military means and which through diplomacy.  
2. Ukraine must become part of the Western security space to prevent new phases of Russian aggression. The issue of Ukraine's invitation to NATO is not only about substance but also timing, as it could become a key milestone for moving toward lasting peace.

Source

About the author. Olesia Yakhno, Ukrainian journalist, political scientist.

The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.