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Rasmussen Reports asked 1,000 likely voters, “How do you rate the way President Biden has handled
the Russian aggression towards Ukraine?” Nearly two-thirds, a full 64 percent, rated him negatively: 15 percent rated
him as “fair” while 49 percent said his performance was “poor”.
These numbers must surely be something close to a record low for a U.S. president in the early stages
of an international crisis. Throughout modern history, Americans have rallied around the flag and our commander-in-chief during
these difficult moments.
The problem for Biden is that he has botched the Ukraine crisis so thoroughly even much of
his own party is refusing to rally around him. You would have to be struck blind, deaf, and dumb to ignore just how
inept he’s been.
One day Biden’s Vice President Kamala Harris assures the world that sanctions will deter the Russians
from invading Ukraine. The next day, after the invasion has begun, Biden laughs at the idea sanctions would have stopped the
invasion.
Most stupidly, Biden put all his “political success” eggs in the basket of deterring Putin. In an
effort to appear engaged, competent, conscious, and in charge, the White House assured us Biden was in constant contact with
Russian President Vladimir Putin. And what was the result? Putin still invaded.
Most people now understand that Biden’s obscene withdrawal from Afghanistan emboldened Putin, as did
Biden’s decision to cancel our oil pipeline.
It’s rapidly becoming clearer the Joe Biden is not up to the job of American President and the
American people, including a huge chunk of his own party, now knows it.[1]
The governors of Ohio and New Hampshire quickly moved to halt the purchase or sale of Russian-made
vodka in response to Russia's invasion and continued attack on Ukraine.
While Biden mouthed off about imposing “serious sanctions" on Putin and his cronies if they attacked
Ukraine, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine acted decisively by ordering the state to no longer buy or sell vodka made by Russian
Standard and said retailers have been asked to remove it from their shelves.
At the same time, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed an executive order instructing state
liquor stores to remove Russian-made and Russian-branded spirits from their shelves.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott also asked retailers and restaurants to voluntarily remove all Russian
products, and later Saturday Utah Governor Spencer Cox ordered Russian-made products removed from state-run liquor stores.
Some parts of Canada have also pulled Russian-made liquor.[2]
So, up to the time of his State of the Union message, why hadn’t President Biden taken a
similar step and banned the importation of all Russian made goods? Why hadn’t he taken decisive and meaningful steps
to punish the Putin aggression? Why did it appear that up until his spotlight time on national television, he was doing little
to nothing to address the Russia-Ukraine disaster?
The European Union (EU) quickly imposed a blanket flight ban on Russian planes, the head of the
European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced. "We are shutting down EU airspace for Russian-owned,
Russian-registered or Russian-controlled aircraft," she said.
All such planes, including the private jets of oligarchs, will now be unable to land in, take off
from or fly over any EU nation. Russian planes have also been banned from UK airspace.
As a consequence, Russia's biggest airline, Aeroflot, had to cancel all flights to European
destinations until further notice. Ahead of the decision, European countries had been closing their airspace one by one.
Germany said its ban would last three months. Here in the US, Delta Air Lines said it would suspend a flight booking
agreement with Russia's Aeroflot.
In addition, the EU said it was also going to ban Russia's state-owned news outlets Sputnik and
Russia Today, widely seen as a mouthpiece for the Kremlin.[3]
And during all of this, what has President Biden done except to weep crocodile tears in his
beer? Why hasn’t he ordered all commercial travel between Russian and America suspended. Why hasn’t he forbidden Russian
planes and ships from landing at our airports or docking in our ports?
Even one of America’s most prestigious institutions of higher learning MIT took immediate steps to
punish Russia for it unprovoked invasion of a peaceful neighbor.
“The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is severing ties with a research university it helped
establish more than a decade ago in Russia, citing the country's ‘unacceptable military actions’ in invading Ukraine.
“The Cambridge university said it notified the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow
on Friday that it was exercising its right to terminate the MIT Skoltech Program.
- - -
“ ‘This step is a rejection of the actions of the Russian government in Ukraine,’ MIT said in a
statement posted on the program website. ‘We take it with deep regret because of our great respect for the Russian people
and our profound appreciation for the contributions of the many extraordinary Russian colleagues we have worked
with.’ “ .(Ref. 4)
Because Russia had invaded Ukraine after President Joe Biden warned them not to do so, the American
president had to schedule a news conference to offer comments on the situation.
But his news conference did not help anything or clarify how the U.S. would respond. Biden’s
remarks were not even entirely coherent.
While Biden condemned the invasion of Ukraine, he was sticking to the idea that sanctions of some
sort would solve the problem.
But Cecilia Vega, the White House correspondent for ABC News, pointed out during her questions that
sanctions had clearly not stopped Russian President Vladimir Putin thus far.
“Sanctions clearly have not been enough to deter Vladimir Putin to this point. What is going to stop
him? How and when does this end and do you see him trying to go beyond Ukraine?” she asked.
But Biden was unclear in his remarks on the whole situation.
During the whole news conference, Biden had a bit of a “deer in the headlights” look as he stumbled
around for answers.
Vega also asked about Putin’s comments and threats to the west.
“The statement that he made last night, the threat that he gave, the west will face consequences
greater than any you have faced in history. Is he threatening a nuclear strike?” In response, Biden had no real answer other
than “sanctions will take time.”
The fact that Biden is just going to rely on time to solve issues is not promising, since there are
already deaths, casualties and destructions in Ukraine.
But that was not even the worst part of the news conference. When asked about China’s relations to
the conflict, Biden simply did not have an answer at all.
In the midst of this blatantly deadly show of power from Putin, Biden is wavering. This news
conference made him appear terribly weak.
While the U.S. may not need to start bombing the daylights out of Moscow in response to this invasion,
the very least that the president could do would be to give a coherent and stern news conference to show some resolve.
In marked contrast, that was exactly what British Prime Minister Boris Johnson did. Johnson was quick
on the trigger and imposed massive sanctions on Russia. Specifically, Johnson’s sanctions are at least aiming to hit Putin
where it could hurt him some. The UK is targeting banks in order to freeze Russian assets, as well as oligarchs and members
of Putin’s close circle who are within reach of the British. Johnson was also decisive in his comments and condemnation. He
did not hem-haw at all or go for the “it will take time” excuse that Biden came up with.
Biden should have taken a page from Johnson’s book when addressing this situation. But instead, he
admitted that he had no idea if Russia plans to start a nuclear war and he doesn’t have any plans to even talk to Putin.
This is not a time to look weak on the world stage, but that seems to be the only thing that
Biden knows how to do. [5]
As Ukraine resists Russian aggression and every civilized nation in the world gathers to offer some
kind of support -- from prayers, to lit buildings, to demonstrations, to Internet, to arms -- Joe Biden isn't looking too good
in this matter.
That's the word of Ukrainian officials who repeatedly signal that Biden doesn't know what he's doing,
is slow on the uptake, and not to be trusted. Ordinarily, people under attack praise America's president to the high heavens.
In Ukraine, though, President Biden just draws sidelong comments and significant contempt.
Case in point. Supposedly the United States offered Ukraine's embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
a safe flight out of the country as Russian missiles rained down. "I need ammunition, not a ride," the Ukrainian president
reportedly replied. It had the heroic ring of the Alamo. And no, that offer for an easy way out to the Hero of Kyiv didn't
make the U.S. look good. After all, the last embattled leader in a nation being taken over by monsters, the wretched president
of Afghanistan -- did take the ride, baggage stuffed with money. Biden, as the father of the Afghanistan disaster, is just
reading from his playbook and doesn't seem to realize that not everyone can be bought off. The Ukraine warrior-president had
to have known that, too -- and chose the barricades.
Zelenskyy obviously has to be cautious with Biden, because his nation is literally under fire and he
needs the U.S. to keep its signed-on-the-dotted-line treaty obligation to Ukraine signed during the Clinton years -- that if
Ukraine would give up its nuclear weapons, the U.S. would defend its territorial integrity. Biden, however, considers that a
suggestion, not a contract, and is paying minimal lip service to the idea, deploying some kinds of military aid and money
(which could easily land in the pockets of consultants instead of Ukrainians) instead of shutting Russia down and cutting off
its oil cash. Slow Joe is now just belatedly jumping onto the European bandwagon and agreeing to some SWIFT restrictions on
Russia, which make intra-bank transfers impossible. Bank runs at ATMs are reportedly starting in Russia as a result of that
news. About time, and glad it happened.
But for Ukraine, more is better. They needed that a week ago. They have to keep nudging Joe, and it's
pretty obvious they don't like it.
The reports coming out of the Ukraine were: “This morning we are defending our state alone. Like
yesterday, the world’s most powerful forces are watching from afar.” and “Did yesterday’s sanctions convince Russia? We hear
in our sky and see on our earth that this was not enough.”
Also, “We never understood why would Biden say that no U.S. troops would be involved. Even if he did
not intend to, why say it when no one asked? At least [he] could have speculated on the possibility to deter an attack.”
It says a lot that this much information at this stage is leaching out about the idiocy and blunders
of Joe Biden and the heroes of Ukraine aren't happy about it. When you're on the front lines, these things get obvious. No
wonder Ukrainians can't stand this guy. He's one problem after another for them. He's the opposite of what they
are.[6]
“That Biden botched abandonment of Afghanistan, as well as his abandonment of the allies who fought
with us, was taken as a sign of weakness by enemies of the United States.
“It emboldened Russian leader Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine, correctly counting on a weak response
from Joe Biden.” .(Ref.7)
Our friends on Taiwan, in the Middle East, in the Far East and elsewhere in the free world wonder if America under
President Biden will come to their aid or do anything actually positive if communist China attacks Taiwan, if Iran comes
up with the atomic bomb, or if North Korea does more than rattling the sabre. The evidence provided by America’s botched
abandonment of Afghanistan and the lack of effective
response to Vladimir Putin’s blatant attack on a peaceful democratic nation do not give any positive vibrations. Biden had
time to act before Putin started raining bomb down on the Ukraine – He did not do so. So far, Biden’s words after
the fact of Russian aggression have proven to be just ineffective rhetoric. President Biden has been a dollar short
and a day late.
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References:
- 64% Disapprove of Joe Biden’s Handling of Ukraine Crisis, John Nolte, Breitbart,
25 February 2022.
- Ohio, New Hampshire move to halt sale of Russian vodka, Phil Helsel, NBC News,
26 February 2022.
- EU shuts airspace to Russian planes, BBC News, 27 February 2022.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology severs ties with Russian school after Ukraine invasion,
WCBV,
27 February 2022.
- Biden's News Conference a Total Disaster, Completely Blows Up in His Face - World Sees How Weak He Is,
Abby Liebing, The Western Journal, 24 February 2022.
- Ukraine's heroes aren't impressed with doddering Joe Biden, Monica Showalter, American Thinker,
27 February 2022.
- Military equipment Biden ditched in Afghanistan could have helped Ukraine, Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald; Pge 15, 3 March 2022.
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