Sunday, January 23, 2022

Russia-Ukraine tensions need a unified NATO response. But Biden shook the alliance.

NBC News

The president's words will embolden Vladimir Putin to be even more aggressive and accelerate his asymmetric attacks on other neighboring nations.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin won a major victory this past week, and it didn’t require him to move a single soldier or weapon into Ukraine. During a news conference at the White House Wednesday, President Joe Biden made several considerable concessions. These rhetorical retreats would not only damage and further destabilize the government in Kyiv. They also reverberated in capitals across eastern and central Europe, leaving leaders there feeling even more vulnerable to Moscow’s meddling.

What should Biden have said? He needed to channel Winston Churchill: Describe in stark terms the gravity of our present predicament.

"In diplomacy, the messaging really matters. Having served in numerous embassies overseas, I’ve seen how the right message can help secure peace. But the wrong message can lead to conflict. What Biden said about a potential Russian invasion and NATO’s response falls squarely into the latter category. His words will embolden Putin to be even more aggressive and accelerate his asymmetric attacks on other neighboring nations.

"The president recklessly remarked that the price for Russia invading Ukraine “depends on what it does. It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do” — the “we” apparently referring to NATO.". . .

Everywhere one looks, Biden has made the world a more dangerous place: China threatens Taiwan, saying Afghanistan withdrawal proves US ‘won’t help’ if war breaks out    Always relevant: Do we need show business celebrities picking our national leaders?

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