We are at the first anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. It is a war that could have possibly been prevented. It is a war that most certainly could have already ended.
From the very start, President Biden has been timid in America’s response to the Madman of Moscow’s maniacal ambitions. He claims to be the world leader on this issues – and unfortunately, he may be correct. He has not been leading for victory.
We did nothing as Putin started to surround more than half of Ukraine’s border with military forces. He said they were only military exercises. We knew better, but we did nothing to deter Putin other than threaten sanctions IF he did invade. Sanctions should have started before he invaded.
In an act of strategic stupidity, Biden stated that under no circumstances would the United States put boots on the ground in Ukraine if Putin invaded. In fact, Biden ordered the removal of American military personnel that were serving as advisors. We should have left Putin with doubt. What Biden did was as close to a green light as you could give Putin.
Biden promised to slap Russia with every sanction possible if Putin launched his dirty little war. Putin invaded – and Biden imposed a few sanctions that virtually every expert said would not be sufficient to deter Putin or cripple his war effort, as Biden promised. Since then, we have meted out dribs and drabs of sanctions – essentially giving Putin time to adjust to each of them. Obviously, the sanction strategy have failed.
At the onset of the invasion, it was believed that Putin would crush the Ukraine military, topple the government and be in control of Kyiv in a matter of days. There were plans under consideration for Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to escape to a western nation.
To the amazement of the world, the Ukraine military was able to stop the initial invasion in its tracks – and force Putin to change his strategy to a regional ground war in the east. That was when military aid became a top priority for the democratic nations – including NATO, the European Union, and independent nations, like Japan, South Korea, and Australia. But all that has been behind the curve.
As is almost always the case in modern times, the world democracies were looking to the United States to lead. Unfortunately, Biden is a weak leader. While he talked the talk – that Putin must not be allowed to win this War — his actual support was as slow and measured. Too slow.
In terms of military equipment, Biden talked about what he would NOT send as much as what he would send. He is still holding back on more advanced weapons and fighter jets. He expressed fears of provoking Putin into launching nuclear weapons. He was intimidated.
Biden only offered a level of military support that would not upset Putin. Biden would allow Putin to respond to his losses and setbacks with opportunities to revitalize and strengthen the Russian forces – time to get more soldiers to the front, time to replenish his dwindling supply of munitions, and time to recruit support from North Korea, China, and Iran (and we have seen the tragic impact of the Iranian drones).
Under international pressure, Biden has sent more powerful missiles and equipment – but still following a too-little/too-late policy. Virtually every general who is not currently in the chain-of-command under Biden is calling on the president to flood Ukraine with all the best military equipment we have – including those fighter jets. In a recent interview, General Stravridis, former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, said we should send everything we have in the western arsenal to Ukraine immediately.
The Biden policy is not only prolonging the War – and causing innumerable deaths, injuries, and misery – but is risking losing the War. He is pursuing no winning strategy or tactics. Rather, the Biden policy to follow the past Washington practice of pursuing prolonged wars of attrition that we will eventually lose. A policy that resulted in the American withdrawals (surrenders) in Korea, Vietnam, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Every day Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine are not winning their defensive war against Putin, they are losing – and so are we. We must either put in the military muscle needed– which could include direct military support – or drag this out until we grow war weary and surrender Ukraine to Putin.
Everyone agrees that the United States has the strongest military in the world. That means nothing if we will not use it when necessary. It is both embarrassing and tragic that the western world can be kicked around so easily by a tinhorn despot in a second rate nation.
So, there ‘tis.