Try as they might, the leftwing press is having a hard time finding subjects by which they can praise President Biden. They do try to say that the American economy is strong – low unemployment and decent economic growth. But in the face of inflation, empty shelves, a shaky stock market, and employee shortages, that is not very convincing to the folks struggling in the real world.
One of the subjects for which Biden gets praise in hyperbolic superlatives is for uniting NATO behind the Ukraine war effort. They even use specious comparisons to what they say was President Trump’s weakening of NATO.
The only change between Biden and Trump regarding NATO is that Biden talks nicer to the NATO allies. Trump was rather belligerent and threatened to get the member-nations to meet their financial commitments to NATO. And yes, he did make threats. But … Trump succeeded where the polite requests of his predecessors failed. Style apart, Trump’s badgering strengthened NATO.
Trump had complained about NATO’s reliance on Russian oil and opposed the Nord Stream Pipeline. Biden reversed Trump’s policy and gave the pipeline the green light – making NATO more vulnerable to Russian aggression. Biden weakened NATO.
So, what did Biden do to unite NATO? Perhaps readers can help me because I cannot find anything specific.
I would argue that he did nothing – but was generally behind the curve as NATO united in opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. THAT is what united NATO. It was led by the NATO members that were at greatest risk of Russian expansionism – and had a history of Russian domination. They were the once-called “captive nations” that were part of the Soviet-era Warsaw Pact – now members of NATO. Such nations as Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
In carrying out his crazed ambitions, Vladimir Putin did more to unite and strengthen NATO than Biden on his best day. The fact that now Finland and Sweden want to join NATO has everything to do with Putin and his dirty little war — and nothing to do with Biden.
At the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, not every member-nation was in total agreement on how to deal with Russia. Germany was still holding back because of its foolish reliance on Russian oil. Same with Italy. Hungary was considered to be too friendly with Putin. That is still the situation. Nothing Biden did changed that significantly.
In many cases, Biden was holding back NATO. Poland wanted to ship a bunch of NATO fighter jets to Ukraine, but it was Biden who put the kibosh on that proposal.
If Biden had any real influence on NATO actions, it may have been a negative one. He did seem to lead NATO in giving Putin a green light by declaring that the United States would not fight against Russia with boots on the ground – or even planes in the air. NATO leaders, such as France’s President Macron, said that was a mistake. But NATO could not get involved over the opposition of the United States.
In many cases, NATO nations were ahead of Biden in imposing sanctions. Initially, Biden sanctioned three oligarchs while Britain sanctioned 17.
One of the existential problems in addressing the Ukraine War has been Biden’s too-little-too-late sanctions and military aid. At the onset of the invasion, he anticipated a quick victory for Putin.
In recent days, the Biden administration appears to be increasing sanctions and the delivery of military supplies – some of the types Biden refused to send in the past. But again, he is reacting, not leading.
It seems those on the left hope to suffocate the truth with excessive praise. In a sense, they doth praise too much. Biden is just not the leader type. He is one of those weathervane politicians that moves at the capriciousness of the winds of the moment. Even his domestic agenda is succumbing to the leftwing Democrats. They have been leading – and Biden responding.
Biden’s impact on NATO is far less than NATO’s influence on him.
So, there ‘tis.