As we have reported, Joe Biden got batted around by both the Chinese and Vladimir Putin in separate incidents, making one wonder if Biden was going to be able to respond appropriately to the threats that both China and Russia were posing around the world. That weakness already seemed to be encouraging China and Russia to make aggressive moves.
Now we see today that Joe Biden declared a “national emergency” in regard to Russia for the Solar Winds hack, booting some diplomats and imposing some sanctions. In that declaration, Biden also continued to falsely push the Russian bounties story that even his own people have now debunked. As my colleague Jennifer Van Laar reported, Biden tried to claim that he’s told Putin off.
Now it’s good that Biden responds to Russian provocations. Assuming they’re real, unlike the Russian bounties story. But the problem is that his response has been the typical Joe Biden we’ve seen in other things: mixed and incoherent. He put out that declaration, which as we said, had issues, but at least it did have sanctions and did expel diplomats.
But in the meantime, as the NY Post notes, Biden said he would be sending two destroyers to the Black Sea to deliver a message to Putin about not making moves on Ukraine, after Russia had massed thousands of troops on their border with Ukraine.
Putin warned the U.S. to stay away “for their own good.” What did Biden do then? He blinked and decided not to send the ships, an incredibly weak move, making it look like he was caving to Putin, perhaps the worst possible thing he could do. Putin was putting him to the test and he failed it badly.
Now Putin, believing Biden to be all talk and no action, just announced he’s going to close the Kerch Strait, beginning next week until October to block any foreign warships out, including the United States. So if we wanted to help Ukraine through that avenue, now we can’t. An exceedingly bad move by Biden.
“We have no desire to be in an escalating war with Russia,” the Daily Mail quoted a senior administration official as saying, who added that the White House doesn’t want things “spinning out of control.”
“We do not seek a downward spiral. We can and think we can avoid that,” the official said.
They think sanctions will be enough. But sanctions wouldn’t stop Putin from moving into Ukraine if he wants to do so soon and now we’ve lost that way to check him. If he does move into Ukraine, we will be up a creek without a paddle trying to live up to our commitments that we have made to that country.