In just one year in office, President Biden – who bragged about being the most experienced person to ever sit in the Oval Office – is about to lose another nation to America’s international adversaries.
First, there was Afghanistan. Not only has that nation, and all its resources, fallen to the terrorists – specifically the Taliban and al Qaeda – but the loss of Afghanistan has pulled the teetering Pakistan into the adversarial orbit. It has resulted in the most inhumane hardship on the Afghan people – which has Biden sending guilt money to the terrorists to help alleviate the massive suffering and starvation he caused. Of course, we have no guarantee that the money will go directly to the relief of human suffering and death. Surrender to the Taliban and then pay them money for the human misery Biden caused. You just cannot make this stuff up.
It seems that Biden is about to throw another critical American/NATO ally under the bus – or more specifically, under Russian tanks.
America’s response to Russia’s pending invasion of Ukraine is more sanctions … harsher sanctions … crippling sanctions. So they say. Russian President Putin and the boys at the Kremlin must be laughing their butts off. Biden’s Ukraine policy is a malfeasance based on incompetence.
While Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken talk about sanctions that will cripple Russia, very few folks really believe that will happen. Oh, they may impose some sanctions, but Putin already has that in his calculations – and he is not afraid of the sanctions. Taking over Ukraine is well worth words of condemnation and a few sanctions that will not be as effective as Biden and Blinken claim.
In his one-year anniversary speech and press conference, Biden made dangerously unfortunate statements. First, he said that he believes that Putin WILL invade in the very near future – literally presaging that all his talk, threats and sanctions have failed.
Biden failed to consider the stronger and potentially more effective deterrent actions. He rejected the advice of professionals in and out of government who recommended that Biden take actions BEFORE Putin invaded. Implementing actions after the invasion is underway is of little to no value since they did not stop the invasion.
Biden should never have taken direct military action off the table. It could have included sending in military advisors, providing air support for the Ukraine military and even NATO boots on the ground. Without a credible threat of military action, all the other promised consequences are virtually meaningless.
Since one of Putin’s paranoid fears is having American and NATO troops on the Russian border, the very threat would have been a very strong incentive to pull back his military invasion force. Biden was faced with the option of western troops on the border of Russia or Russian troops on the border of NATO – including nations he still sees as part of the old Soviet Union – or the new Soviet Union, to be precise.
Putin’s threat would not even be conceivable if NATO had invited Ukraine to join the coalition. Not only was that not done, but Biden gave away more leverage by assuring Putin that Ukraine would not be a member of NATO for a very long time – if ever. Biden did not succumb to Putin’s demand that the United States and NATO agree to NEVER bring Ukraine into NATO. But that was undermined by the assurance for the foreseeable future. Another win for Putin.
At his press conference, Biden made another blunder. He intimated that America’s response might depend on the nature of the invasion. Maybe a limited incursion would not elicit the same response as an all-out invasion. (This is what you get with four decades of government experience?)
That comment sent shockwaves through the Ukrainian leadership. It terrified them. It also shocked American allies. As with the sudden pull-out in Afghanistan, the comment was a policy that appears to have been formulated inside Biden’s brain on the spur of the moment – without consultation with NATO allies, especially those on Ukraine’s western border.
The White House Communication Office quickly “clarified” Biden’s diplomatic gaffe – saying that any incursion will result in severe sanctions. That is a bell that cannot be unrung.
In terms of the Russian invasion, we may already have passed the point of no return. Again, like Afghanistan, Biden has ineptly allowed an American adversary to win a major international victory that will have unimaginable hardship on the Ukrainian people – and will cost the lives of untold numbers of soldiers and civilians.
The United States will be one of the victims as the consequences of Putin’s play will reverberate throughout the world – further diminishing America’s leadership in the world, emboldening our enemies, and threating our national security – at home and abroad.
President Obama walked away from Syria and caused the most tragic migration of refugees since World War II and a loss for American leadership and security. Biden is likely to have two of those on his watch – with three more years to go.
So, there ‘tis.
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