
<p>There is an old showbiz saying that you never wanted to follow an act with children or dogs. ; You just cannot do well by comparison. ; In a way, that is what President Biden faced when he decided to follow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to Congress in what essentially represented a public response.</p>



<p>First of all, Biden is no match for Zelenskyy in terms of stagecraft – or statecraft. ; Besides which, Biden did not have a good message compared to Zelenskyy. ; In the most impressive and eloquent terms, Zelenskyy laid out the needs of Ukraine – and what is at stake in his nation’s battle with the maniacal Vladimir Putin. ; Biden gave an “aw gee, I wish we could help more” response.</p>



<p>The juxtaposed speeches were so obvious a mismatch it is a wonder that Biden – and his advisors – would have thought it a good idea for the American President to follow Zelenskyy. ; No wartime head-of-state has proven to be more durable, more persuasive and more impressive than Zelenskyy – with the possible exception of Britain’s Winston Churchill.</p>



<p>Of course, Zelenskyy has the sympathy and support of the civilized world. He is the guy facing down the Madman of Moscow. ; It is his cities being bombed … his people dying. ; It is Zelenskyy who is under a shoot-to-kill order from Putin.</p>



<p>Apart of the settings in which the two leaders find themselves &#8212; and the painfully obvious disparity in speaking ability &#8212; Zelensky also wins on substance. ; The Ukraine leader was powerful and specific in his request for existential support from the United States – support that is solely in the hands of Biden. ; If it were up to Congress or a plebiscite of the American people, it is likely all of Zelenskyy’s requests would have been honored – and then some. ; The calls for Biden to do a lot more are overwhelming and bipartisan.</p>



<p>Zelenskyy gave Biden the obligatory compliments, but the reasonable request of the Ukrainian leader and the continued rejections by Biden undermine our President’s words of support – those “we got your back” statements.</p>



<p>To be fair, the Biden administration had imposed significant sanctions on Russia and Russian oligarchs – but he did not lead on this issue. ; Initially, Biden sanctioned three oligarchs at the same time Britain sanctioned 17. ; Biden never hit Putin with the full range of available sanctions at the beginning of the invasion – as he had promised. ; There are still sanctions left to be imposed.</p>



<p>Biden is providing weapons that have already been financed by Congress in a $13 billion Ukrainian aid package. ; In his speech, Biden said he was sending up to $1 billion of that money.</p>



<p>Biden is either convinced – or at least wants the American people to be convinced – that giving Zelenskyy a few planes and declaring a no-fly zone over Ukraine is the opening gambit of a third world war. ; That is so ridiculous that it is hard to imagine that Biden would actually believe such nonsense.</p>



<p>The essential role for America and NATO is NOT to slow down the Russian war machine – gain a stalemate ceasefire &#8212; but to actually WIN the war. ; And what does that look like?</p>



<p>It means Putin completely withdraws from Ukraine – including the Donbas Regions and the Crimea. ; It means the Russia pays reparations for the damage it has done to Ukraine. ; And Ukraine moves forward with its applications to NATO and the European Union. ; That is what the defeat of Putin looks like. ; Anything less is a victory for Russian despot.</p>



<p>The White House, the Pentagon and the news media all assure the people that America has, by far, the most powerful military in the world. ; Combine that with NATO and there is no nation – or combination of nations that even come close. ; And they are correct.</p>



<p>It is also being reported that the Russian military has been over assessed for years. ; They cannot even conquer Ukraine. ; Their equipment is faulty. ; Their strategies flawed. ; And the military command is corrupt. ; They are running out of supplies.</p>



<p>So … Biden seems to want us to believe that we have reason to fear escalation of the war. ; We are to try to work out a deal in which Putin gets at least a face-saving concession – a victory.</p>



<p>In this juxtaposition of Zelenskyy and Biden at this seminal moment, we see an admirable and courageous fighter for the free world &#8212; a man with surprising nobility and strength &#8212; against an aging, appeasing, weak leader – going only so far as events push him. ; A man whose dedication to liberty and justice for Ukraine is mostly lip service, symbolic gestures, and insufficient responses – too little and too late. ;</p>



<p>Watching Biden take to the dais after Zelenskyy was sad. ; The Ukrainian President was inspiring and dynamic. ; The American President is pathetic and embarrassing. ; One was strong and the other weak. ; We can only hope that the people of Ukraine – with the support that has been given – will be sufficient to DEFEAT the Russian military. ; And more support from America would help.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Zelenskyy makes Biden look weak
