This week’s Euro-tour by President Biden was like a horror film, with everything going from ‘eerily off to full-blown crisis in just seconds. The trip was intended to assure Europeans that America will win the fight against Vladimir Putin. But what happened was quite another. The European version of the jolly ‘Uncle Joe” routine is a good one. Biden’s solidarity statements, as well as his assurances of U.S. support for Ukraine and the defense NATO, receive positive press. For most European leaders, the most important thing is that he never asks for more than they are willing to do. He is an inoffensive bystander.
However, there is a shadow behind the admirable Biden. Two troubling problems are a concern for the future of the transatlantic network.
This lack of strategic vision is especially troubling. What is the U.S. strategy to take after this war and ensure that Putin does not trouble us again?
It is not helping that Biden has a national security team which has been subpar. For example, Vice President Harris’s European trip looked like something out of “Saturday Night Live.” It would be difficult for the White House to name one positive outcome.
As if their slow response to the Ukraine crisis wasn’t enough, word is out that Biden’s dream group is just days away from announcing a new Iran Deal. It’s weaker than the previous, certain to cause tensions in the region, and raise new questions about Biden and his advisors’ competence.
The second problem is deeper than the lack of cognitive ability of the president and his staff. They have no skills or ability to create and execute strategies to protect the long-term interests the United States.
Biden has a national strategy for gender and national security, even though it’s been more than a year since he took office.
This lack of strategic vision is especially troubling. What is the U.S. strategy to take after this war and ensure that Putin does not trouble us again?
Biden made a mistake, clearly: Former US ambassador Video
Russia’s president is still a threat to the military and has energy as a weapon for blackmail, coercion and profit. Biden has no long-term plan for either.
We need to strengthen conventional and strategic deterrence as well as energy independence. Biden offered band-aids and hoped for the best.
Russia’s president is still a threat to the military and has energy as a weapon for blackmail, coercion and profit. Biden has no long-term plan for either.
This weakness has been noticed by the Chinese Communist Party, it is clear.
Biden may wish Putin is gone and that renewable energy power the free world as much as he wishes, but both of these are magic thinking.
This trip was a reminder that Americans have a tired leader with limited abilities, supported by a team who are not better at this task now than they were when they worked under President Obama.
