Thoughts on Ukraine, Putin, Biden,and Russia

Kyiv may fall while President Biden helicopters to Delaware to vacation for the weekend. Kyiv may be too close to the Russian borders to successfully resist a massive attack. President Biden has well learned the lesson from President Obama of leading from behind. However, President Biden claims to have supplied Ukraine with some defensive weapons, which is more than President Obama’s giving the Ukrainians MREs (Meals Rady to Eat). President Obama wasn’t concerned by Russia’s seizure of Crimea because Russia was simply a “regional power.” How ironic the Ukrainians are using Molotov Cocktails against the Russians! An overconfident Stalin invaded Finland in November 1939. The Finns whipped the Red Army. The Russians finally forced Finland to the negotiating table months later. A replay may be happening in Ukraine. Theories abound to explain President Putin’s seizure of land from Georgia and Ukraine: Restore Russia’s (USSR) glory and empire Embarrassment on the fall of the Soviet Union when he was a lowly KGB agent in East Germany President Putin is crazy History (Conquerors and attackers) shows the need to secure Russia’s borders. How about the Napoleonic Complex? No one should be surprised by President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Putin and Hitler both told the world what they wanted to do, but the world was not listening, not believing, or not caring. John Fitzgerald Kennedy published his senior thesis at Harvard in 1940, “Why England Slept.” Why the E.U. slept while Russia built? President Putin also told the world his desire to rebuild the security zone around Russia and eliminate NATO as a threat. President Biden strongly affirmed Article V and the commitment to the defense of every NATO member. Does President Putin believe President Biden or the rest of NATO? Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s two major priorities for the United States military are 1) wokeness, and 2) climate change. Where does NATO fit into his priorities? Sanctions, sanctions, sanctions, but no restriction on Russia’s export of oil and gas. Western Europe is dependent on Russia for energy. 41% of the European Union’s gas supply comes from Russia as does the largest amount of its coal and gas. Russia is a low-cost supplier of these fuels. The Russian oil and gas, as well as coal, continue to flow. David used a slingshot against Goliath. Brandon is using sanctions against tanks. Candidate Biden tweeted two years ago “I’m going to stand up to him, he’s a bully.” He also said “Imagine what can happen to Ukraine” if President Trump is reelected. Just imagine! The media portrayed the summit between Presidents Biden and Putin last June as a meeting of adults. President Trump warned Western Europe against buying Russian oil and gas. The best way to destroy Russia’s energy club over Western Europe and crash its rubble is to open America’s energy tap, to return America to the energy independence of 14 months ago. President Biden had America pay Russia $4.7 billion last year for 69,800,000 barrels of oil. Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh said earlier in the week that the sanction levied against Russia are not intended to disrupt the Russian energy imports: “Our sanctions are not designed to disrupt in any way in the current flow of energy from Russia to the world.” Weak sanctions against a “bully’ invading a neighboring country by a befuddled Administration. President was asked about the effectiveness of his new sanctions. He snarky replied: “Let’s see in a month.” Ukraine may be history in one month. President Putin is waging war against Ukraine. President Biden is waging war against American fossil fuels, but supports Russia’s fossil fuel production. President Biden said: “I will do everything in my power to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump.” Everything except increase American production The United States offered to Fly Ukraine President Zelensky and others out of Ukraine after the second day of the Russian invasion. President Zelensky replied “I need ammunition, not a ride.” President Zelensky, a lapsed comedian, is showing leadership to the Ukrainian people and the world. President Biden, the “adult” in the room, is reaffirming his ineffectual leadership. Why does President Putin sit at the end of a long table with the others 30-40’ at the other end? Is he paranoid? John Kerry’s worried the war will set back his campaign against climate change: “I hope President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate.” Secretary of State John Kerry did great damage to America. He periodically proves the wisdom of the American people in not electing him President. He would probably have been worse than Brandon. The reputation of President Garter rises every day of the Trump Presidency. The media never misses a chance to slam President Trump or quote him out of context. He said of President Putin’s recognition of the two eastern provinces and moving troops into them “This is genius.” He also said Putin made “a genius move” by moving troops into them. Note carefully that he also emphasized more than once that Putin never would have attacked Ukraine if he were still President. Vladimir Putin only acted against Ukraine under Presidents Obama and Biden. President Biden threatened Russia with crippling sanctions before the invasion to deter the invasion. He repeatedly told the American people and the world that the sanctions would deter Putin from invasion. He said Thursday: “No-one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening.” The President warned Saturday that “no sanction that is immediate.” Vice President Harris is not communicating with President Biden. She said Sunday “The purpose of these sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence.”