Weakness invites aggression. New in FrontPage:
Russian troops are advancing briskly into Ukraine. Vladimir Putin has brushed off Old Joe Biden’s sanctions and made it abundantly clear that he is not afraid of Biden, as Democrat operatives and their propaganda arm, the establishment media, have long insisted.
This is what happens when America has a feeble president, an obvious figurehead, and our military is compromised by Leftist ideologues. Clearly Putin is taking advantage of Biden’s obvious weakness and the decimation of our Armed Forces by wokeness and Covid hysteria. He knows that there is little likelihood that Biden will touch off World War III by committing American troops to the defense of Ukraine. Putin also likely considers that even if the American military does end up confronting Russian forces, that the U.S. military’s concentration on pushing Critical Race Theory and other Leftist agendas on the troops, as well as the culling that took place due to vaccine mandates, have left our military in such a weakened, distracted, and confused state that it will not pose any significant threat anyway.
Meanwhile, Putin emphasized in his remarks announcing the beginning of the operation against Ukraine that “in December 2021 we once again made an attempt to agree with the United States and its allies on the principles of ensuring security in Europe and on the non-expansion of NATO. Everything was in vain. The US position did not change. They did not consider it necessary to negotiate with Russia on this important issue for us, continuing to pursue their own goals and disregarding our interests.”
If this is an accurate summation of what happened, and there is no reason to believe that it isn’t, then the fecklessness of the Biden administration’s foreign policy is as much to blame for this conflict as Putin is. The questions must be asked: was it really necessary to begin maneuvering to incorporate Ukraine into NATO, and to ignore all Russian entreaties that may have led to the formulation of an agreement that was mutually acceptable to both parties? Were State Department officials too preoccupied with implementing the woke agenda to bother to negotiate with Putin over NATO?
The establishment media is portraying Putin as the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler and doing its level best to stir up war hysteria, but even if he is the new Hitler, which is by no means obvious, his conflict with Ukraine is not our fight. The only American interest in the region is our need for Russian oil, which Joe Biden himself has created by closing the Keystone Pipeline and ending the energy independence we had achieved under President Trump. There is no chance that Biden will reopen the Keystone Pipeline, so it is unlikely that he will risk a confrontation with Putin that could jeopardize our energy supplies. And Putin knows that, too.
Donald Trump has left us the example of an America-First president; keeping the best interests of Americans at the fore, Trump challenged our putative NATO allies to contribute their fair share for their own defense, and he did not threaten Ukraine’s security or unnecessarily provoke Russia by insisting on Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO.
The current situation can be ascribed to Biden’s rejection of the America-First principle and determination to ensure benefits for the military-industrial complex. A new Cold War with Russia will almost certainly secure profits for that sector for some time to come, but Biden and his Leftist handlers and allies are playing an extremely dangerous game. They’re playing chicken with a man who doesn’t appear to be easily cowed or intimidated. They’re trading on the historical memory of American power at a time when Leftism has corroded that power to the extent that it is not at all certain that America would prevail in a confrontation with its old Cold War adversary.
Meanwhile, Putin issued his own threat: “Now a few important, very important words for those who may be tempted to intervene in the ongoing events. Whoever tries to hinder us, or threaten our country or our people, should know that Russia’s response will be immediate and will lead you to consequences that you have never faced in your history. We are ready for any turn of events. All necessary decisions in this regard have been made. I hope that I will be heard.” Will he be? Doubtful, in the White House today.
It could be that after Ukraine, Putin will call the security bluff and challenge our Leftist-run, wrongheaded military. The consequences could be catastrophic.
James Brice says
Perhaps there could be reasons for Putin to tell an inaccurate version of the negotiations. Surely a weak president like Biden would agree to keep Ukraine out of NATO. He gave in to all the demands of Iran in order to get a worthless agreement. Maybe Biden was willing to keep Ukraine out of NATO. They say that NATO does not want Ukraine as a member anyway. Perhaps Putin’s version was not the gospel truth?
Roland says
Yes, Biden is fumbling here. But, Trump always supported Russia and disparaged Ukraine. He would not likely have resisted Russia’s invasion. Like any scoundrel, Putin wraps himself in the flag and stirs up all the latent Muscovite Russian grievances to justify his savage behavior. If it wasn’t that paper tiger NATO, it would be something else. Ukraine is a free democratic Eastern Slav republic. That is what terrifies the little Czar in Moscow.
spiro says
This didn’t happen with Trump
Trump was respected by Putin because he didn’t know what to expect from Trump who was a strong leader not like this old goat
Who was not respected even by Obama
When Trump had the high ranking military leader from Iran killed the other leaders got the message
Infidel says
Not just that, when Russian aircraft buzzed US aircraft over the Black Sea, the latter did return fire. Don’t recall whether the Russians were shot down, but it did teach the Russians not to mess w/ the US until Trump was out of office
gravenimage says
Agreed, Spiro and Infidel. This did not happen under Trump.
Infidel says
So why didn’t Putin invade during Trump’s tenure? Trump did have his issues w/ the Poroshenko government, which had backed Hillary and had interfered in the US election on Hillary’s behalf. It is okay if done by Ukraine, but an act of war if done by Russia? How exactly does this work?
But things b/w Trump and Kyiv did improve once Zelenskyy became president, and focused on targeting corruption in his country. And Trump is now revealing that he did tell Putin that there can’t be good relations b/w the US and Russia if the latter invaded Ukraine. The difference was that unlike NATO and other Western leaders, Trump was willing to listen to Moscow on Russia’s legitimate security issues, and they do exist. Having NATO troops in Ukraine, like in Poland, would be like having Chinese troops in Canada, within striking distance of New York and DC
My solution to this would have been to take US out of NATO, and just work out a bilateral security arrangement w/ the concerned countries – Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Arm them to the teeth, but don’t put any US troops anywhere there: they’re more likely to be needed against China
Orbis Sine Jihad says
Infidel, your read of this grave situation is, I believe, better articulated than any I have seen, in any medium. So, little brother Putin is adventuring: your last sentence mentions China. Look for a 9-dash line to be etched in the Ocean bedrock, and Taiwan would be wise to go to heightened status, as would all the Himalayan states. I am convinced that Ukraine is but an appetizer.
Infidel says
I wish the people of Ukraine success. Last night, there were reports that so far, 800 Russian soldiers have been killed, and that one Russian jet has been downed. Also that one airport near Kyiv that was initially captured by the Russians was retaken by the Ukrainians, which is nothing to sneeze at. Also great is normal Ukrainians taking up arms, and all the men being forced to stay while only women & children being allowed to flee. That is what real refugees look like, oh muslims!
President Zelenskyy is fast becoming one heroic figure who stands out in all this, by not only remaining in Ukraine but remaining in Kyiv, not even moving to Lviv. In b/w, I’ve been hearing, first from Tucker Carlson and then another news source that he has been jailing his political opponents and now offering to release those who take up arms against Russia. I’d like to know the context in which those political opponents were imprisoned and the crackdown on media: was it due to loyalties to the Kremlin, or instead genuine differences of opinion?
gravenimage says
+1
gary fouse says
Putin is an evil, no-good sob who should be tried for war crimes. But he is no empty suit like Biden, who has always been an empty suit. Now he is a senile empty suit who is no match for the likes of Putin.
Everywhere Putin looks in the West, he sees weakness. Biden, Trudeau, Macron, Rutte (Netherlands) Sweden, the list goes on and on.
And if NATO doesn’t put combat troops on the ground in Poland and the Baltics, Putin will move against them as well.
Infidel says
Interesting that you should mention Sweden. Russia is now threatening Finland and Sweden – non NATO members – of dire consequences if they were to join NATO
And unlike Ukraine, Sweden was never a part of Russia. Part of Finland was, but not Sweden
gravenimage says
I hadn’t heard this before, Infidel–but it does not surprise me. And Russia has an ugly history of threatening Finland.
Infidel says
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/finland-sweden-nato-world-war-iii/2022/02/25/id/1058590
gravenimage says
Thanks for that link, Infidel. Putin is more emboldened than ever.
tgusa says
After the fall of the USSR the Ukraine found themselves with many nuclear weapons within their territory. Following the Budapest Memorandum the Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons in the 90s. The Ukraine was promised a security guarantee by the U.S, U.K. and Russia for doing that. As is said about Biden also applies to the West. Never underestimate the Wests ability to screw things up.
The end of the Cold War led to a giant cluster#### of polices and decisions in the West. In many ways I miss the good old days of the Cold War and only having the concern of potential nuclear annihilation. The Cold War was what it was but the West was smarter and stronger back then. Today in the West it is hard not to say, we are so screwed. We wont be able to transgender our way out of where we are now.
tim gallagher says
Good, witty comment, tgusa, about not being able to transgender our way out of the problems the western world is facing. That meeting of the leaders of the two thuggish, evil regimes, Putin and Xi, recently, was alarming. I think the two despotic regimes figure that the western world is in decline and has been for some time now and they are planning to start throwing their weight around.
tgusa says
Thanks and I agree tim. Those two regimes wouldn’t need a rocket surgeon to figure that out.
somehistory says
One of them wants the *red* states and the other says he’ll not get stuck with the *blue* if it means no more **imports**….neither will want the *blue states.* But they are ready to an agreement if each can have some of the *red* states.
Imagine…just imagine if they were really talking about how they would divide up the U.S. between them.
tgusa says
The two of them could be building crematoriums right in front of the blues and the blues would still be reaching out to them and helping them. Yes, the blues are that stupid. That is why I have always said the blues are the greatest threat to us all, including themselves. Even when it comes to something as harmless as dining the blues shouldn’t ever be allowed to eat with any other utensil but a spork.
somehistory says
Sporks can be dangerous…they still have the sharp ends.
A baby spoon is best. Small, less chokable bites, and no sharp edges.
I find it amazing that so many can be so, well, stupid. Foolish, lacking common sense. And many have the idea they are the sharpest tools in the box.
tgusa says
Hmmm, thoughtful. We could just issue them a chain saw and tell them to eat with that.
tgusa says
Wile E Coyote should replace the Donkey as the blue party symbol.
somehistory says
https://thewashingtonstandard.com/is-russia-actually-in-ukraine-to-take-out-us-biolabs-video/
Could it be? The guy posting seems to have some evidence for saying:
U.S funded bio-labs…identified as “defense” close to russia’s border
tgusa says
They were burning piles of papers, yesterday, I believe.
somehistory says
The article about the biolabs, has a map with all of the lab locations. I have no problem believing it to be a true thing. Especially after all the stuff that has come out about the wuhan virus lab getting U.S. funding and who all was involved.
tgusa says
I am at the point where I wont discount anything anymore and I have never been known to be a conspiracy theorist.
somehistory says
I believe we who think this way are just realists. After all truth is actually stranger than fiction. Glenn Beck had a guy on his show who worked for the ecolab…under that peter dorzac…(sp?) guy…the wuhan collaborator…and he said that ecolab was working for the cia. His name is Andrew Huff and he is very believable.
He has documents to prove his claims and said his house was broken into; that he and a co-worker had military (us) helicopters circling over their homes.
gravenimage says
Somehistory–with all respect–I have never once heard Putin say he was invading Ukraine to take out any labs.
tgusa says
Respectfully gravenimage, in this day and age we don’t always get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. In many cases it is just the opposite.
somehistory says
Well, g, I don’t believe that any of us have heard everything that putin has on his mind. It is possible that this lab thing is a part of the reason for the invasion, and if not the *reason,* then it could be a side benefit for him.
Before the covid release…and I believe it was released…I had never heard of fauci, his funding gain of function and his work with the chinese on bioweapons, but after it started coming out, I certainly believe there is more to that story too.
So, maybe you haven’t heard putin speak of biolabs, but that doesn’t prove that he has not. Read the article.
gravenimage says
Somehistory, I did watch that video. And no–it doesn’t say that Putin has said that he is invading Ukraine because of labs, either.
And this is the first I have heard the claim that Covid-19 was developed by the US in a lab in Ukraine. There was no confirmed case of Covid-19 in Ukraine until March of 2020–three months after it appeared in China. By this time the disease had already turned up in Thailand and dozens of other countries–but not yet in Ukraine.
This seems odd if the disease was developed in Ukraine as this claims.
tgusa says
This is what we are up against in the USA.
https://americandigest.org/short-takes-seen-through-the-fog-of-blather/
Infidel says
Somehistory
I saw this video today of an American who lives in Russia talking about the US bioweapons labs that exist in Ukraine
https://rumble.com/vvsl8i-ukraine-invasion-bioweapons-labs-russian-perspective.html
Normally, I’d dismiss this as conspiracy theory, but after what we’ve seen of Fauci, Collins and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, I no longer can put that past them. Also, while I oppose the Russian attempt to reconquer Ukraine, if that’s the objective, it’s another thing altogether if they’re trying to blow up US bioweapons labs that can’t legally be built or operated in the US itself. Again, this may look like conspiracy stuff, but when Fauci is involved, there’s no telling
somehistory says
Infidel,
I figured there was more out there about this bioweapons thing. Thanks for the added information.
I believe there is not much the government…run by corrupt liars…will not do.
fauci and collins and the rest of that crew…gates does a lot of funding of fake “vaccines,” so I include him.
somehistory says
Just watched the video of the guy in Russia. And saw the map there with the host saying the targets of the military line up with the labs.
And the guy said that putin has *talked* about the lab thing and said also that one of the labs had an outbreak of something, he recalls it being smallpox.
gravenimage says
As bad as things are now, tgusa, I can’t look back with fondness to the brutal oppression of the Soviet Union.
tgusa says
I don’t recall using the word fondness to describe it.
tgusa says
Its just that in those days we knew where we stood. Back then, for the most part, a man was a man and a woman was, well, a woman. Just to name one.
somehistory says
g,
I think that in the near future, we will all learn a whole lot more about what went on with the lab in wuhan…not the one they first claimed was working on the “bat” virus, but labs that were lower level where the work was actually happening; and what Mr. Huff revealed to Glenn Beck about when all this virus stuff began….with the cia years before the virus was *reported* in china.
It is not surprising to me that there are these labs in europe also. The cia has fingers everywhere and they are not the most honest agency or the most ethical.
Infidel says
tgusa
The main reason that Ukraine gave up their nukes was that the controls, and the launch codes were all w/ Moscow. It didn’t make sense for them to keep on their soil weapons that were controlled by another country
Also, I am willing to bet that Article 5 will not be invoked if Russia invades Poland or the Baltic Republics. Another reason why NATO should have been disbanded and that countries interested in protecting Europe – including us – should have stuck to bilateral treaties w/ frontier states, like Ukraine, Poland, Baltic nations and so on. And leave out the leaches like Germany and Hungary
tgusa says
No doubt you are probably right but I still hope not. NATO has always had its limitations. I didn’t know the ruskies had exclusive access to the codes. I wonder if there was a way we could have found a way around that. For one reason or another probablly not because the world was different back then.
tgusa says
tim and Infidel. I read that when the Berlin Wall fell the mob was advancing on Stasi headquarters and others that were considered the enemy. The mob eventually turned their attention toward KGB headquarters and began to advance and Putin was there. Putin told the mob that they would open fire on them if they continued to advance. After hearing that the mob decided that wasn’t a good idea and stopped in their tracks.
gravenimage says
The KGB is no more, and the Berlin Wall is no more.
And I don’t really consider those taking down the Berlin Wall to be a mob–more like people who actually wanted freedom.
But yes–KGB member Putin was indeed in Berlin at the time, and he came to hate freedom even more than previously.
BexarKat says
Xi will make the next move in this game of “chicken.”
Walter Sieruk says
It’s very easy for Putin to “size up ” Biden. For Putin , no doubt , has alreadly recognized Joe Biden as a weak and feeble old man , in both mind and body. Likewise Putin must understand the Biden is only a figurehead and a puppet “president” who is under the control of others in high positions of power who are much more intelligent than Biden.
Putin is strong and intelligent and Biden is neither. What a sorry shame that Donald Trump isn’t still in the Oval Office of the White House. Instead America and the American people have that awful, terrible, man , creepy old Joe, masquerading as a genuine US President.
James Lincoln says
Walter Sieruk says,
“Putin is strong and intelligent…”
Yes, and also ruthless.
gravenimage says
He is also a thug.
Walter Sieruk says
If Joe Biden takes further action on this terrible situation, he will only make things more awful just as he further harms, damages and wreaks everything else he touches.
Biden is a disaster magnifier and a calamity maker. In this specific case the former of the two applies to him.
gravenimage says
Putin Sizes Up Biden, Invades Ukraine
Weakness invites aggression.
……………….
All sadly true. I do believe that if we ignore this, though, it will only further enable other aggressors like China re Taiwan, North Korea, and any number of Islamic thugs.
Walter Sieruk says
That dim-wit Joe Biden is no match for that intelligent Vladimir Putin. Therefore Biden is unable and can’t handle the Ukraine/ Russia crisis.
Biden can hardly even make it through a speech without sounding like some kind of empty headed idiot or an outright fool.
gravenimage says
Not sure I’d characterize this savagery as intelligence, though.
somehistory says
Call it *crafty*…or diabolical.
gravenimage says
I’ll go with that, Somehistory.
OLD GUY says
Biden’s major decisions involve the flavor of ice cream for the day. Other than that everything else is decided for him and scripted for his speeches. Our government is lead by a bunch of crooks who only care about their continued cash flow and will sell out our country to the highest offer. The two party system picks who runs for office and see’s to it that they get candidates who will go along with and not disrupt the Money train.