Failures of Obama, Trump and Biden on Ukraine

Ukraine has suffered through a trio of presidents lacking the world-stage leadership that America once had in abundance. Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan, W. H Bush and Clinton were respected by America’s friends and feared by our foes. 

They were replaced by the fumbling and bumbling Presidents Obama, Trump, Biden, and now, Trump again. History will not be kind to these three presidents elected at the beginning of the 21st century. 

Obama towered over Vladimir Putin and could outstare him, but Putin out-maneuvered him time and time again, especially in Crimea and Syria. Trump is an empty vessel making a whole lot of noise. He lacks basic world knowledge and substitutes loud, empty  rhetoric and commotion to appear knowledgeable. Trump’s supporters are impressed with Trump’s antics, but he is a joke on the world stage and within the upper ranks of our military, retired or active. 

Biden kept Ukraine afloat for three years, and his support contributed significantly to the degradation of Russia’s military and economy. This contributed to the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s army and weakened Putin on the world stage.

Yet Biden did little to improve America’s military, especially in terms of personnel, equipment and the Navy’s ability to put to sea. More telling, he forced Ukraine to fight Russia, a country 10 times the size of Ukraine, with one hand tied behind its back. 

Trump is a lame duck president surrounding himself with the silliest sycophants imaginable, with little or no military training, knowledge or appreciation of what makes up a fighting force. Having a lower-level Fox newscaster with minimal military training, experience, or expertise to lead the Department of Defense is dumb and dangerous. 

If Trump and the Republican Party allow Russia to conquer or control Ukraine, Russia will remain one of the three world superpowers. Ukraine is the bread basket and industrial might of Eastern Europe, serving as the backbone of the Soviet Union during World War II and the Cold War. 

Only America and China will remain superpowers if Ukraine remains free. Russia will continue as a backward country, with a rapidly aging population artificially propped up by a Stalin-like ruler hell-bent on killing off its youth, culture and future. 

The Kremlin looks forward to the Trump presidency to settle the war on Russia’s terms. Even though Ukraine continues to degrade Russia’s military and economy, today’s Republican Party and Trump want to provide Putin with a lifeline — snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Why?

Because of Trump’s recycled flawed and fatal “America First” doctrine — the same doctrine the Republican Party put forth in the 1930s and early 1940s. The unprovoked Pearl Harbor attack of Dec. 7, 1941, dealt a death blow to this doctrine — until Trump and the spineless Republican Party of the 21st century revived and embraced it again.

Although America hasn’t suffered the loss of a single American soldier and Ukraine has fought Russia to a standstill, the Republican Party’s “cut and run” mentality is their guiding principle. China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran will look upon the sell-out of Ukraine as a weakness of America — and they will be correct. 

Will history remember Trump as Neville Chamberlain or Winston Churchill? 

Tom Muri is a fifth-generation Montanan and military retiree who writes from Sedona, Arizona and Missoula. He grew up in  Whitefish.