For the first time in many years, Eastern Europe is embroiled in war. The Russian invasion of Ukraine isn’t the first conflict since the end of World War II, but it’s one that has grasped the attention of world leaders more than any other.
Experts and pundits are throwing around a multitude of reasons and excuses for the invasion. Many are asking why Russia’s President Vladimir Putin chose to invade now. What stopped the Russian Army from crossing into in Ukraine shortly after taking Crimea?
Most do not understand that Vladimir Putin set his mind on reconstituting the old Soviet Union long before troops started hunkering down along the Ukraine border late last year. The first step Putin took was in 2008. Putin is a master at creating deception.
After worsening relations between Russia and the former part of the Soviet Union, Putin invaded and quickly took over Georgia. At the time, American international policy was not strong. The United States was more likely to elect an appeasement candidate as president as well.
The voters did. In 2008, Barack Obama and Joe Biden took over Washington policy. On an international stage, virtually every decision was a failure. America looked weak and ineffective. However, Putin was not yet ready to make his next move.
Russia’s authoritarian ruler would wait until 2014 to do that. Again, Barack Obama and Joe Biden were orchestrating U.S. foreign policy. The feckless Obama administration provided Putin with an open window of opportunity into Crimea.
In February 2014, Russia invaded and annexed Crimea away from Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is a shrewd tactician. He does not make idle moves that compromise his ultimate agenda. That agenda has always been to reconstitute the former power of his Soviet Union.
He was patient. But then something happened in the United States. Undoubtedly, Putin had his eyes on Ukraine soon after securing Crimea. But the timing was wrong. By the time Putin might have perceived a window of opportunity, another U.S. presidential election was unfolding.
Putin was certainly hoping an Obama 2.0 version of weak diplomacy would prevail. However, President Trump surprised everyone, including Vladimir Putin. President Trump took over the White House, and with it America’s renewed “peace through strength” ideology.
Even if Vladimir Putin had plans to invade Ukraine years before, he knew it would prove an ill-fated decision. Vladimir Putin respected President Donald Trump. Putin knew the consequences he would face if he provoked a determined and capable Trump administration. Putin did nothing.
Jump forward to November 2020. That may well be the day Vladimir Putin’s interest in taking over Ukraine in its entirety was reborn. Joe Biden stole the 2020 presidential election. An old adversary, whom Putin knew as a feckless weakling on foreign policy, was now in the White House.
Most certainly, plans for an invasion began to stir. But then Joe Biden began to make foreign and domestic policy decisions. Vladimir Putin must have been salivating upon hearing of each one.
First, Joe Biden axed the Keystone Pipeline in the United States. That overturned a level of energy independence that President Trump had attained. It flung open the door to billions in energy profits for Putin’s Russia.
Within a few months, Biden also removed policy blocks for Putin’s own energy pipeline. When the Biden administration waved sanctions against Nord Stream II, Putin must have thrown a party. These two horrible energy policy decisions happened within months of each other.
Does anyone who’s followed Vladimir Putin actually believe a manifesto he penned in July that ironically came after he watched both of these Biden blunders? Then came the final straw, which broke the camel’s back.
Vladimir Putin, and every other U.S. adversary, watched as Joe Biden made a fool out of the United States. Biden’s incredibly inept withdrawal from Afghanistan exposed a chink in America’s armor. We no longer had strong leadership. America had a feeble old man in charge.
Furthermore, many of the same buffoons who were part of the Obama White House were controlling the United States’ foreign policy teams again. Their ringleader was now Joe Biden. Vladimir Putin, like a ferocious carnivore, smelled weakness. He saw ineptitude.
After the world watched Afghanistan, Russia’s plans, probably already in the works, were rocketed into high gear. It was only a few short weeks, before Russian troop movements started to shift towards Eastern Europe.
By the end of the year, less than three months after the Afghanistan debacle, Vladimir Putin was slowly surrounding Ukraine. By late February, Russia was coiled and ready to strike. Joe Biden’s feckless administration kept parroting the same response.
They were working on diplomacy. Biden envisioned a diplomatic solution to avoid an invasion. There was never one. There was never going to be a solution. Vladimir Putin knew Joe Biden was spineless. Biden has never been on the right side of a foreign policy decision in four decades. The odds were now heavily on Putin’s side.
He also had policy decisions that eased the burden of any sanctions against his own country. Joe Biden’s weak and feeble stance against aggression was obvious. Vladimir Putin seized upon a moment of opportunity. Putin played the Biden administration like the fools they are.
Now, the world is facing a military conflict that’s a tinderbox. Both of the first world wars were triggered by less provocation. Vladimir Putin has invaded Ukraine. Intelligent military experts always cautioned that is what he wanted to do.
Joe Biden didn’t listen. He never does. As Ukrainians die and the world recoils under the threat of a global conflict, we need to look no further than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for responsibility. The blame for war in Ukraine lands smack dab in the middle of Joe Biden’s desk. He has blood on his hands.