We’re seeing the results of Joe Biden’s failure to employ any kind of a strong and competent approach when it comes to Russia.
Why does Vladimir Putin think he can do what he wants and threaten his neighbors? Why shouldn’t he? Joe Biden not only hasn’t put on any pre-emptive sanctions to deter Putin from invading — as Ukraine has begged, saying it’s too late after the invasion — but he waived the sanctions on Nord Stream 2, increased the amount of oil that America has bought, and hasn’t resorted to tougher sanctions that he could employ. He’s given Putin what he’s wanted.
The Biden Administration seems to have no idea what they are doing. You have Kamala Harris claiming that the “threat” of sanctions is enough to discourage him but then, in the next breath, both she and Biden claim that Russia has made up its mind to invade. So then the threat hasn’t discouraged him. As we explained yesterday, not even the Secretary of Defense seems to believe that the sanctions they are positing are going to affect the Russian people more than they are going to affect Putin. Then you have the claim that they offered Putin a summit that would happen only if he would back off, announcing that Biden and Putin had agreed in principle. Then Putin made Biden look silly after that announcement when he said there was nothing definite.
As Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) notes, Joe Biden has been the “best thing” for Putin because he’s refused to take a tough approach. Cruz told Bill Hemmer on Fox News Sunday that approach hasn’t worked at all.
“No, it hasn’t worked at all. If you look at what the Ukrainians want, they’ve been very explicit,” Cruz said. “They’ve asked the United States explicitly, ‘Put sanctions on Nord Stream 2, right now, today.’ Joe Biden could do that this morning. He refuses to do it. And they said, number two, provide lethal military aid, give us the weapons to defend ourselves.”
Cruz explained that Joe Biden personally lobbied against the bill to put sanctions on Nord Stream 2. As we noted at the time, not only did they do that but they used the filibuster rule to defeat the bill, requiring 60 votes. Not only were they helping Putin but they were being hypocritical once again on the question of the filibuster. The Democrats had previously been for the sanctions and then they flipped because of who was in the White House and the lobbying from Biden. Cruz skewered their flip-flopping.
“Joe Biden came to Capitol Hill and personally lobbied Democratic senators to vote against Russian sanctions. That’s why we’re facing this invasion. I gotta say Bill, Joe Biden becoming president is the best thing that ever happened, tragically, for Vladimir Putin,” said Cruz.
Indeed. Putin looks at all this and knows he’s not going to get any serious pushback so it emboldens him. If you truly thought he was going to invade, why would you not do all you could with sanctions now, preemptively, to stop him? Yet they refuse and they are still refusing to cut them the lethal aid they need, just as Barack Obama did in 2014. How did that work out?