Giving 43-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zellensky “unwavering support,” 78-yearold President Joe Biden ripped Russian President Vladimir Putin for a military build up in eastern Ukraine. Since Putin’s March 1, 2014 invasion of Crimea, Ukraine has battled with pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region seeking to end ties with the Kiev government. Zelensky’s predecessor, Petro Porochensko, found out the hard way what happens when you challenge Putin, losing the Crimea Peninsula, home of Russia’s warm water fleet in Sevastapol. Poroshenko was the recipient of Feb. 22, 2014 CIA-backed coup that toppled the pro-Kremlin government of Viktor Yanukovych while Putin sat helpless by while hosting the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. One week after the Feb. 23, 2014 closing ceremony, Putin moved Russian army on Crimea, prompting today’s standoff in Donbass.
Whether admitted to or not by the West, Russian speaking enclaves want no part of the Kiev government, primarily because they’ve abandoned Donbass since Ukraine became independent Aug. 24, 1991, vacating the region, once a manufacturing hub for the defunct Soviet Union. Zelensky claims that 14,000 Ukrainians have died since Putin annexed Crimea in 2014, prompting his urgent requests from NATO to join forces. NATO’s Secretary-General, formerly Prime Minister of Norway, knows that inviting Ukraine into NATO would spell disaster for the post WW II alliance, designed to keep the former Soviet Union from seizing more territory. All the Western chatter about a Russian military build up mirrors Kiev’s propaganda that a battle for Donbass is imminent. Zelensky has used the Russian military buildup to pressure NATO into join military exercises or membership.
Seven years after Putin March 1, 2014 invasion of Crimea and NATO hasn’t taken Ukraine’s bait for membership. Stoltenberg knows that even the hint of NATO interference in Ukraine would trigger Putin’s move to annex Russian-speaking enclaves in the Donbass region. Biden promises Ukraine “unwavering support” but NATO isn’t prepared to jump into a conflict with the Russian Federation. “Moscow is doing it openly, deliberately uncovering tanks in daytime. This is not how war is prepared, this is just a show of strength said an unnamed source close to Kremlin’s operations. Russia’s military build up in the Donbass region sends a loud signal to NATO that its ready for any contingency if it goes ahead with joint military exercises with Ukraine. Putin’s playing a game of cat-and-mouse with Ukraine, exposing the firepower to discourage NATO from taking Zelensky’s bait.
Biden’s “unwavering support” can only go so far when NATO has cold feet when it comes to getting involved with Ukraine. Western powers act like Putin acted recklessly when he invaded Crimea, when in fact he reacted to a CIA-baked coup in Kiev that drove Yanukovych from power. All the talk of Putin’s military build up in Donbass exaggerated the chance of seizing new territory. Putin’s basically saying to Biden, “make my day,” if you move NATO into the Donbass region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was mum when asked about Russia’s military build up. Putin’s playing his cards close to the vest, preparing for the worse if challenged by Zelensky. Russia and China look like they’ve teamed up to confront what looks like relentless antagonism by Biden since taking office. When Biden called Putin a “soulless killer,” he hurt Ukraine’s chances for an amicable settlement.
Biden and his 58-year-old Secretary of State Tony Blinken chose to adopt 44-year-old Russian dissident Alexi Navalny as a cause célèbre, insisting that Putin release Russia’s best-known revolutionary from prison. Biden accused Putin of meddling in U.S. elections and hacking SolarWinds network management software. But look who’s now meddling in Russia’s internal affairs. When it comes to Navalny, Putin’s especially sensitive because of Navalny’s open intent of toppling his 22-year reign of power. Putin just signed a new law granting himself two more 6-year- terms as Russian president. Knowing that Putin will be around for years to come, why has Biden and Blinken chosen to confront the world’s longest serving superpower leader? Biden doesn’t see the linkage between backing Navalny and helping Ukraine preserve its territorial integrity, now threatened again in Donbass.
Talking about hosting joint military exercises or NATO membership, Zelensky has waved a red flag into front of Putin. All the military build up in Donbass mirrors Putin’s deterrence, trying to keep the Western Allance away from Ukraine. Biden can say he has “unwavering support” for Ukraine but that doesn’t mean, when push comes to shove, he’ll send U.S. or NATO forces to defend Ukraine’s borders in Donbass. Pro-Russian Ukrainians in the region have shown no interest in joining the Kiev government that backs the Western Alliance, wanting nothing to do with Zelensky. If Zelensky really wants to stabilize Ukraine, he should do more for Ukraine’s eastern territories that are alienated from Kiev, certainly from any prosperity. Zelensky can avoid more conflict by working with Putin to resolve any border disputes, not invite NATO to come to Donbass as a show of Western force.
