I am deeply saddened by the lack of leadership from the current U.S. administration with regard to Putin’s naked aggression against Ukraine. This issue hits particularly close to home for me as I immigrated to the United States as a refugee from Soviet-era Ukraine at the age of eight...
Arlington, VA - I am deeply saddened by the lack of leadership from the current U.S. administration with regard to Putin’s naked aggression against Ukraine. This issue hits particularly close to home for me as I immigrated to the United States as a refugee from Soviet-era Ukraine at the age of eight.
“Is this the way the strong leaders of our past such as Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower would have handled the Soviet Union? I think not.”
When this crisis started, there were several possible outcomes. The worst possible, but unlikely, outcome, was the full invasion of Ukraine. Yet, that’s exactly what happened. Had we better-equipped Ukraine with the necessary weapons and put in place the sanctions before the invasion, the war could have been prevented. This administration did very little until the last minute, and now when Russian tanks and missiles are obliterating Ukrainian cities, anything that Biden does is too little and too late. Unsurprisingly, this is the second major foreign policy failure under the Biden administration in the last year.
Is this the way the strong leaders of our past such as Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower would have handled the Soviet Union? I think not. People around the world respected the power and leadership of the United States and acted accordingly while Biden’s approach is weak and embarrassing on the world stage. This administration has shown multiple times they are inept and unable to shoulder the responsibilities of leading the world’s strongest nation.
Since none of the NATO allies plan to engage Russia in a direct military conflict, chances are that Russia will overpower the Ukrainian resistance and put in place a pro-Moscow puppet government. Putin has publicly stated his aim to de-militarize Ukraine. Once this happens, a massive refugee crisis will take place in Eastern Europe and Putin will be one step closer to re-enacting the Soviet Union.
Now that we are in this precarious situation, the next worst-case scenario is a direct conflict with Russia. This would trigger the start of a new world war, which is something to avoid at all costs. We cannot get involved militarily in Ukraine, but we must beef-up our deterrence mechanisms in NATO countries bordering Russia. In addition, we must isolate Russia from international trade, financial exchange, diplomatic relevance, and international transport.
As someone who has achieved the highest level of security clearance with over a decade in the national defense industry, I bring a nuanced understanding of international threats and challenges facing our country. We need new leadership in our government that understands the United States cannot take a prone position when dealing with Putin, Xi, and the like. Midterm elections are just around the corner. Get out and vote for our next generation of leaders.