It appears we are going to stop helping Ukraine and let it fail. I attribute this brutal mistake primarily to Jake Sullivan, but the rest of the Obama administration’s holdover foreign affairs “thinkers” have certainly had their roles in this. The blood of misguided appeasement is on their hands.
A lot of people have paid for this approach with their lives—tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands in places like Syria, Ukraine, Lybia, Israel, Xinjiang province in China. Many more will, too, I fear. We’ve returned to our retreat from Pax Americana, from which the events of 9/11 and the Dubya Bush Administration were a short detour.
Here was Garry Kasparov the other day on the social media site popular among everyone who matters on it:
The stage continues to be set for what I warned against a year ago, the Biden admin crying poverty to withhold aid and force Ukraine in an unholy partition. That was the deal with the devil that led to this expanded war and it would happen again.
Kasparov mentions the Biden administration because they are in office. But if the other party’s foreign policy “thinking” follows the Trump/MAGA populists, it is arguably even worse: it goes beyond appeasement to venture boldly into making common cause with the authoritarian regimes who want our destruction.
This was the sort of news that put me in a grumpy mood the other day. I know some would argue (Hi, Josh!) that we shouldn’t pay attention to such news that is depressing and against which we are powerless to do anything. I get the point, but also feel like we need to approach the world with our eyes wide open facing forward. We need to pay attention and bear witness to the evils our leaders would also like to get us to ignore.
Here’s why it matters, by the way:
To call the situation worrisome barely scratches the surface.
As I just wrote in reply below, we should have (and still can) set up a border patrol, drawing a line in the sky. No Russian incursions will be allowed (as in shot down) and the deal with Ukraine would be that they may not invade Russia. Enforcement by US Air Force, so minimal number of US personnel stationed in Ukraine. End of war. We could still do this. It would cost, but not as much as an open ended commitment to Ukraine's efforts or having a large US contingent sent there. However, no one asked me then or recently.
Next point is that Ukraine and border security have no commonality. They ought not be even allowed in the same bill. Each issue should stand or fall on its own merits.
Hey!
Did you know Aphyllous means a tree has no leaves! I learned that today! 😀