The Free World is Thankful for Biden's Steady Hand During the Ukraine Crisis

Donald Trump considered withdrawing from NATO if he won in 2020. To him such alliances are simply expensive relics of the cold war, and he demonstrated no ability to work in concert with our allies on the Iran nuclear deal or anything else while in office.

Independent.UK: "Donald Trump was considering pulling out of Nato and cutting the US’s alliance with South Korea if he won the 2020 election, according to an account of his private meetings with top aides."

That decision would have pleased Vladimir Putin, but weakened both the United States and its European allies. NATO is not just a military alliance; it's a "force multiplier" and vehicle for the Western world to speak with one very potent voice on security matters.

Unlike Trump, President Joe Biden clearly understands the importance of coordinating US foreign policy with our NATO allies.

Playbook: "It was Biden and his team’s patience and close consultation with European allies that has led to the extraordinary unity now on display. Biden’s patience waiting to impose sanctions until after the invasion, even in the face of intense criticism, has been vindicated because Putin would have pointed to preemptive sanctions as a provocation and a reason to invade. Biden said that Germany would abandon the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline if Putin attacked and he was right, because he had been engaged in quiet diplomacy on the issue all along."

"Biden’s surging of forces into NATO countries pushed other countries to do the same. Biden’s leadership on sanctions helped reluctant allies follow along. All of it was done without shaming and finger pointing. While Biden’s national security apparatus often gets criticized for being bogged down in deliberation without decision, that focus on intense consultation was rewarded by the Europeans."

And conservative commentators at the Bulwark seem to agree

The Bulwark.com: "In the weeks leading up to the Russian invasion, Joe Biden used his administration to loudly and transparently demonstrate that Putin’s irredentist claims were bunk and that the looming invasion was a premeditated act of aggression" ...

"He simultaneously worked—quietly—with NATO and the EU to achieve a larger consensus than there has been on any military matter before the alliance since . . . well, let’s call it a generation." ...

"It would be nice if Biden got some credit for this from the public. He’s only making it look easy."

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the type of crisis that we elected Joe Biden to handle, and thus far he is living up to his reputation as an experienced, rational, and steady hand.

#Ukraine #Biden #internationalrelations

By: Don Lam & Curated Content