In December 1992, after the security and humanitarian situations in Somalia significantly deteriorated, the George H.W. Bush administration decided to deploy U.S. troops as part of a UN-sanctioned peace enforcement mission. Because President Bush had just lost the 1992 presidential election and would be leaving this crisis to his successor, Bill Clinton, Bush consulted with President-elect Clinton and obtained his agreement before making this major foreign policy decision.
This instance of post-election foreign policy collaboration by incoming and outgoing presidents represented the U.S. tradition of the peaceful transfer of power—and an outgoing president respecting the will of the American people who just elected a new president. Unfortunately, President Biden has chosen to ignore these crucial traditions concerning the war in Ukraine and instead appears determined to sabotage the policies of his successor.
President-elect Donald Trump has made it clear that one of his top national security priorities is swiftly ending the war in Ukraine. Trump is determined to change U.S. policy on the war by ending it instead of supporting a long war of attrition that Ukraine is sure to lose. Under the peaceful transfer of power tradition, President Biden should cooperate with the policy of his successor during his final days in office.
Unfortunately, Biden has taken a defiant approach to Trump’s new policy.
Biden decided last weekend to allow Ukraine to attack targets in Russia with the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). Ukraine had been asking for permission to fire these weapons at targets deep inside Russia for almost a year, but Biden refused—until after the election—because he worried this would dangerously escalate the war.
Putin previously said that Ukraine firing missiles deep into Russia would amount to the “direct participation” of NATO countries in the Ukraine War. Putin immediately responded to Biden’s decision by announcing he had lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons in the war. The U.S. embassy in Kyiv was closed on November 20 after Russian officials threatened a “significant air attack” in response to Ukraine firing longer-range missiles into Russia. On November 21, Russia reportedly fired a nuclear-capable ICBM at Ukraine for the first time against the city of Dnipro. Russian officials claim this was an “experimental hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile.”
Biden made other provocative post-election changes to his Ukraine policy. The administration announced on November 19 that the president agreed to send banned antipersonnel land mines to Ukraine for the first time. On November 20, the Biden administration moved to forgive $4.7 billion in U.S. loans to Ukraine. Biden officials also plan to spend all available funds on military aid to Ukraine, totaling an estimated $7 billion by the time Biden leaves office.
So instead of collaborating with the newly elected president to end the war, Biden has taken steps to escalate it and make it harder for Trump to end the conflict. Biden’s moves may cause Putin to dig in and refuse to negotiate. They could also embolden Ukraine to keep fighting instead of agreeing to a cease-fire due to the influx of weapons and cash that the Biden administration will be sending over the next 60 days.
Why would Biden do this? The reason is that the president and his staff do not have a serious approach to the Ukraine War. Their policy of demonizing Putin and arming Ukraine for a war they know it cannot win is virtue signaling, not a strategy to end this conflict. Biden and his supporters want to be able to brag that they are standing up to Putin and are prepared to fight to the last Ukrainian soldier for their cynical approach.
The Biden camp also intensely opposes Trump’s plan to end the war quickly, probably with a cease-fire along the current battle lines followed by negotiations for a permanent settlement. Biden officials don’t care that the likely Trump approach is the best of many bad options and, if successful, would stop the killing and create the potential for a lasting peace.
However, despite President Biden’s foolhardy 11th-hour policy decisions on the Ukraine War, there are reasons to be hopeful.
The day after the election, Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin also reportedly spoke after the election, although Trump’s staff has not officially confirmed this. Putin has indicated he is open to negotiating a ceasefire with Trump. Zelensky is willing to talk but currently appears less willing to compromise. Russia’s state-controlled media has said it expects Trump to reverse Biden’s decision allowing Ukraine to fire missiles deep into Russia.
This means Putin and Zelensky see the incoming president as effectively already in charge and view Biden as a lame duck and failed president. They therefore are likely to mostly ignore Biden’s recent foolhardy policy decisions on the war in Ukraine and concentrate on preparing for President Trump, whom they expect to put extreme pressure on them to end the war.
Still, given the havoc that Biden’s post-election Ukraine policy decisions have caused, Donald Trump cannot return to the Oval Office fast enough.
There must be a special place in Hell for people who continue senseless wars for political reasons. Trump will end the war–and soon. Everyone knows this----including Putin, Biden, and Zelenskyy. Among Biden’s last acts, including his "permission to send rockets deep into Russian territory, was to send off one last package of aid, weapons, and money------KNOWING it will have no impact on the war’s eventual outcome. How many people must die before Ba’al is satiated?
I’ll just say this: we are the only civilized country in which the party that loses elections stays in power for another 2 1/2 months. This made sense in the 18-19th century when new administrations had to travel half a continent to relocate to DC. Now, it’s just another excuse to thumb their noses to the will of the people.
Together with term limits, this is the next insanity that needs to end. NOW.
Yet, given the huge number of appointments at all levels that need to be affected before one administration can be replaced by the new one what would you suggest?
Even with the type of breakneck speed groundwork that we have seen taking place in just the two weeks since the election; and none of which is a fait accompli, ready for prime time operational deployment - would simply then be transferred to the first two months of the replacement’s “reign”.
Meaning they would accomplish little, if anything, worthy of note even if they had the reins of power in their hands.
The reason it is not working, as it should be, is that the LEFT’s goal - for over 100 years, right now and forever more is? To destroy the country and bring us - whether we like it or not, if they must - kicking and screaming - into their dystopian, totalitarian world so that we too can enjoy the utopia they have always had in mind for us to know and which, we would embrace - if only we were as wise and bright as are they.
If two people or any numbers of people have a commonality of trust and - even if differing as to methods - still want to try to make things better - not deliberately worse in service to a malevolent, evil, vile, Machiavellian agenda?
as is indisputably the case with the Democrats and the myriad iterations of fascistic, wanton modus operandi models that they hide behind, under the rocks of?
Then, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, and it would be as the author describes happened between Bush and Clinton transition.
But - we all know that that isn’t the case, which is why I sincerely hope that from the very first second Trump and company are back?
That their first and foremost goal will be to not just hold at bay the Democrats - but consciously make it their “failure is not an option” goal to destroy the rat’s nest that it is and go after relentlessly, imprison if need be, its treasonous leadership. Dismantle all of the systemic rot - institutional cancers that facilitate them - in our educational system and every aspect they have like cockroaches infiltrated.
Otherwise, they will just lie in wait - as they always do - biding their time until the next time they can stab America and humanity in the back with gleeful delight, vicious abandon and pick up where they left off.
This is not a time for compassion for an enemy who only wishes us dead, maimed and laid low.
Joe Biden is, and always has been, a spiteful, petty man and his dementia is progressing exponentially. So, I’m not surprised that he is attempting to thumb his nose at Trump on the way out the door.
But, there are a several things the author isn’t factoring into his assessment. One, it takes time to actually send large amounts of money or munitions anywhere; it takes time to round up materiel, organize the funding, etc and Biden’s time in the Oval is, thank God, quickly coming to an end. I expect that some or most of the promised aid can be clawed back by the Trump administration as soon as he is inaugurated.
Two, Vladimir Putin is a ruthless authoritarian but he’s not stupid-- he never would have survived in high-level Russian government for so long if he was. He may bluster about nukes being an option but I don’t think he’s nihilistic enough to actually deploy them, particularly right off his own border & in territory that he was willing to expend blood & treasure to control.
Three, Pres. Trump is a known quantity, in that he has held the office before. He is known for saying pretty much exactly what he means even if it is not always phrased with particular elegance. He has made it perfectly clear that he will not allow the US to continue to fund this war and if we withdraw aid, you can bet the EU does as well. President Trump also has a fondness for using economic pressures to get what he wants from allies & opponents alike. Zelenskyy, the little weasel, will fully exploit anything that comes his way. Putin knows he only has to defend Russian territory for a little longer and he can avoid potentially devastating economic sanctions at a time when Russia can ill afford any further economic disruptions, particularly since Trump’s return to office means the US will return to being an fossil fuel exporter.
My last point, the author did touch on. Both Zelenskyy and Putin know that it is Pres. Trump they will be dealing with for the next 4 years. If that doesn’t terrify Zelenskyy, it probably should;
he has to realize that allowing himself to be used as a campaign stunt was a grave error and that he is likely to be ousted once hostilities cease and his countryman come off the adrenaline high of defending their homeland. Putin was notably non-aggressive during DJT first administration; I think that will be his policy during the second Trump term.
The truly sad part of all this is that the likely outcome of all the wasted resources, destruction and loss of most of a generation of young men is that both countries will return to their pre-war boundaries and Ukraine still not being a NATO member.