Joe Biden imbues his administration with geniuses: Rhodes Scholars; Ivy League graduates; People with a wealth of global experience: Jake Sullivan, National Security Adviser; which the president described as ‘Once-in-a-generation wisdom’ The president himself has been preoccupied with foreign policy for half a century. Despite all the impressive resumes But the Biden administration has mishandled the war in Ukraine. Not only does it hinder the beleaguered alliance’s ability to fend off Russian aggression. But it also leaves behind a remarkable opportunity to improve America’s global standing and the position of a democratic power in the world.
to protect themselves more effectively than expected The Ukrainian people have shown their ability to withstand a major military defeat by President Vladimir. Putin of Russia But time and time again, Biden and his experts have restricted Ukraine’s ability to fight until it was too late, most recently after his party lost the presidential election. Biden finally gave Ukraine a limited ability to use American weapons against military targets in Russia’s small pockets. The president’s decision came after a 33-month war, during which Russia launched a series of offensives. As far as anywhere in Ukraine is desired. In many cases, Iranian-made weapons were used.
Biden promised Ukrainian people that he will stand with them. “As long as it takes” – but he also ensured that the war went on longer than it should have.
Almost three years have passed. The conflict is getting worse. And the number of war crimes keeps increasing. Conflict has also become more global. This is because Russia has strengthened its alliance with China, Iran and North Korea. Considering economic and military needs When Putin assembled his offensive forces in late 2021 and early 2022, the United States had good intelligence and tried to warn Ukraine about Russia’s plans. What is much more difficult is what happens when there is an invasion. and therefore So the Biden administration doesn’t understand what it’s looking at. US officials It is assumed that if Putin carries out his plan Ukraine will have no chance and Russia will win in the short term. With the devastation of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan just a few months ago. So Biden is responding to the new crisis with self-pity: according to journalist Bob Woodward’s new book. warThe president complained that “Jesus Christ! Now I have to deal with Russia swallowing Ukraine?”
In fact The United States greatly overestimates Russian power. Instead of releasing panic and fear Putin’s army has turned out to be a humble tool. Has sufficient firepower But it is also hindered by corruption. inconsistent morality Deficiencies in command and control and logistical problems Meanwhile Ukrainians have shown themselves to be more resilient, adaptable, and willing to fight than the Biden administration understands. At that point, the United States could take advantage of the courageous Ukrainian resistance and Russia’s weakness in a big way.
I try to think of another time when an unexpected event caused a U.S. president to die. There are more favorable conditions for reshaping the geopolitical landscape. For years, American strategists have discussed reorienting U.S. military forces. Keep away from Europe Their primary function is to protect democratic countries from Moscow’s military aggression. and focus on the Indo-Pacific region to deter a rapidly rising China if the United States helps Ukraine win in 2022, that is, liberate its internationally recognized territory. By joining NATO, the United States would also protect the security of western Ukraine. The presence of a military-powered Ukraine in NATO would have decisively stimulated the balance of forces within Europe in favor of democratic countries. and restore global confidence in American leadership. Destroyed by the collapse of Afghanistan, the United States was able to draw on its military footprint in Europe and focus on Asia. The world would be much safer and more stable.
Despite how bold the president’s pledge to stand with the Ukrainian people is, His administration appears afraid of threats from Russia that Putin will use nuclear weapons if the United States. Too much help for Kiev Moreover, The deep focus on stability in Russia appears to have the White House worried about doing anything that might overly threaten Putin’s rule. Otherwise it will cause chaos in Russia. In a foreign affairs Essay from last fall Sullivan has repeatedly boasted that the Biden administration is helping Ukraine defend itself. The problem is that defensive tactics alone are not enough to enable the Ukrainians to defeat an invasion by a much larger power.
Still, Biden and his aides are pursuing a Goldilocks strategy, hoping to help Ukraine fight without unduly provoking Putin. They supply Ukraine with a very limited type of military equipment. And even making sure it limited what Ukraine could do, the Biden administration initially seemed afraid to give anything away. Any that can strike a frontline of more than 30 miles or so to Ukraine. So the US Therefore only short-range weapons were procured. It certainly doesn’t want Ukraine to target Russian military assets in Crimea. which is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine and has been illegally occupied by Russia since 2014.
So, for the rest of 2022, when the first Russian offensive is halted and retreated. Ukraine does not have the ability to attack Russian targets behind it. Even if those targets are within Ukrainian territory. And the outcome on the battlefield that followed was predictable. Although Ukraine made great progress in the fall, But Russia can always recover. It provides a wide sanctuary where they can regroup and resupply their forces.
That was the start of the Biden administration forcing Ukraine to fight the way the United States did. I never thought about myself. When Kyiv sought long-range weapons systems in 2022 and early 2023, the Biden administration initially refused. It is claimed that Putin is willing to use nuclear weapons. The possibility of nuclear escalation recurs repeatedly. This is regularly the case when Ukrainians try to gain access to other Western weapons systems, including ATACMS missiles, Abrams main battle tanks, F-16 fighter jets, and many others.
When the United States is finally able to process reservations and provide the requested system, Putin always backs down. Although there are limited quantities The standard Russian strategy is to downplay the arrival of new equipment and do its best to reassure the Russian public that it will not make a difference in the war. and in fact Those Western weapons have had far less impact than they would have if the United States These weapons were transferred faster than usual and in larger quantities.
The inability to learn has become a recurring and major failure in the Biden administration’s overall strategy toward Ukraine. Extreme caution about provoking Putin may be understandable in early 2022. America’s defense planners have been playing a variety of war games for years. which results in the use of nuclear weapons If some people think that Russia’s red line has been crossed Both Woodward and The New York Times has reported that as Ukraine looks to retake territory in the fall of 2022, the Biden administration believes (based on intelligence that is unlikely to be made public) that there is a 50 percent chance that Putin will use a nuclear bomb. Still, the The administration should also adjust its thinking after Russia’s military weakness. And the trend towards confrontation over nuclear matters has become clear.
Russia adjusted its tactics and tried to win. Using Iranian drones which was modified with a thermobaric weapon. to burn Ukrainian civilians alive In the process of deployment 10,000 North Korean soldiers fought and sacrificed their own soldiers at a high rate. 45,000 injuries and deaths per month– (The British government estimates Russia’s total deaths are about 700,000.) Meanwhile, the Biden administration is in a bind over deciding whether to allow Ukraine to attack military targets of high strategic value with weapons. Is it designed to do that?
In practice, the Biden administration is treating the conflict in Ukraine like a crisis that must be managed. It’s not a war that must be won. The administration doesn’t seem to understand that Russia can be defeated.
As a warning Biden and his foreign policy experts have been caught unawares more than once. from the turmoil surrounding the US withdrawal Leave Afghanistan in 2021, and even more shocking, on October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks Israel. The latter event occurred a week after Sullivan announced that the Middle East “Today it is quieter than it has been in two decades.” (He used similar language in his edition foreign affairs essaywhich is Edit before publishing online–
Unfortunately, the administration appears equally surprised by Ukraine’s ability to resist Russian aggression. And it lacks the intelligence and imagination to take advantage of the situation for Ukraine’s and America’s benefit.
The war has gone on so long that Biden doesn’t think it will end. Ukrainians can continue their struggle with European help. Maybe President Donald Elected Trump could confuse his allies and detractors by standing with Ukraine rather than indulging Putin. What is clear is that Biden missed the moment. The management department began to deteriorate. By looking more and more powerless while Ukraine suffers and as an emerging anti-Western alliance including Iran, North Korea and China, have come to Russia’s aid. Biden may have helped create a world that is better and safer than the one that existed in February 2022, but he has instead returned to a world that is much more dangerous.
