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Link: https://twitter.com/omriceren/status/1512761502431911941
allowing Russia to get away with the then invasion.
Bully for the Ukrainians for being somewhat prepared this year and not depending on the US
To negotiate more of their nation away. There is much finger pointing that is well deserved from WBush to Obama to Trump but it appears Biden has done a far better job of it even if from the sidelines.
It appears Putin’s regime is in bigly trouble - and if all NATO countries can hold fast against Putin, maybe this ends sooner than later with Ukraine retaining all of its land. The sacrifices will be great but maybe too, we can get rid of Putin.
Unless you think it was worth going to war over Crimea in 2014.
No amount of sanctions (and we put quite a few on Russia) would have prevented it.
I know what could or should have been done.
Tho it may in fact be true, I have never been able to escape the thought more could have been done back then.
It could be that the US and allies were still embedded in Afghanistan, war fatigue and too many dollars spent there made the difficult decision apparent.
There was no good option in 2014. No way to stop or reverse Putin's actions.
Keep in mind it happened very fast, with little warning. And the people of Crimea essentially welcomed the Russians, since they were/are almost all Russians themselves. It is not a Ukrainian region.
There was nothing the US could do.
idea, Putin would stop at Crimea - I said it then and I said it months ago when the military buildup along the Ukraine borders began - Putin wants it all and he won't stop there
at Crimea.
I also noted, Putin wants to burn it all down.
Yes, the Crimea invasion happened very quickly but there was
little done by Obama other than sanctions that fell short and surely Trump only enabled Putin. 1. Putin learned that NATO had no strength to fight back
2. NATO and the US had no appetite for battle - battle of any kind.
One of the only things the R's have gotten right about Obama was, he's a little too soft sometimes
and Crimea as a highlight is a perfect example.
The Republic of Crimea was part of Ukraine since '54 even if de jure, though its Russian population was greater than the Ukraine population it can only be said
it became that way during Ukraine's time as a satellite of the USSR.
So let's not get things mixed up.
That I don't know what exactly could have been done during the Crimea invasion, I do know the US under Obama and Trump should have been very aggressive in
moving Putin out of the annexed Crimea but they were not. Moreover, it cannot be defended, especially now with the available 20-20 hindsight that NATO, the EU
should have been far more active and aggressive in dealing with Putin.
PS: though I agree with you on a great many topis, this is one where I cannot - unless you can provide a definitive essay on this topic
I do agree Biden is doing a bang-up job straddling all the obstacles and making good choices.
I wish the Pros would make up their minds on things like this.
Link: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/five-times-the-white-house-said-sanctions-could-deter-putin
Absolutely zero self awareness.
You mean, Same paper years apart?
However, both articles are opinions.
The Times usually posts opposing views/opinions on the same page.