Should Russia escalate its infringement on Ukraine’s national sovereignty, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear the former, and wannabe future, empire plans to do, the president-cum-dictator deserves the overwhelming bulk of the blame. But that doesn’t remotely absolve President Joe Biden of blame for enabling Putin’s escalation, nor does pointing out that our president failed our Ukrainian ally and aided Russia. Of course, Biden’s stateside allies would have us believe the opposite.
Putin may have been the one to initiate the creation of Nord Stream 2, the German-authorized pipeline designed to render the continent further dependent on Russian oil, but it was Biden who gave it the ultimate green light. While former President Donald Trump dissuaded the pipeline’s construction, signing a law to impose sanctions on those aiding in its construction, Biden waived sanctions on both the main consortium creating the pipeline and on the Nord Stream 2 CEO. As recently as last month, just six Democrats defied the White House and voted with Republicans to reimpose sanctions, still failing to secure the 60-vote majority required to succeed.
While powering Russia’s further consolidation of its market share of oil supply, Biden suppressed our own, letting drilling permits expire and crucially killing the Keystone XL pipeline. Even now, with Putin supposedly posed to invade Ukraine, Biden refuses to demand the deconstruction of Nord Stream 2.
Furthermore, Biden has publicly committed to embracing the worst of Obama-era foreign policy. Not only does Putin know that this was the vice president who watched him invade Crimea and do nothing in response, but he’s also seen this same man, now simply more senile as a president, hand over 20 years of efforts in Afghanistan, American troops, and our allies to the Taliban and get nothing out of it in return.
If you are blaming Biden today for what Putin is doing in Ukraine please take down the American flag from your home or social media account and replace it with the Russian flag. It will help us all know where you clearly stand.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) February 22, 2022
Biden isn’t making Putin do anything. But he’s allowing Russia to run roughshod on yet another ally to expand its hopes of empire and to deny that reality only betrays Ukraine.
