Russian President Vladimr Putin, 69, looks to keep over 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border not to invade Ukraine but to stop the, Ukraine, U.S. or NATO friom retaking the Crimean Peninula. U.S. and European intel sources completely misread Putin’s motive for keeping so many troops near the Ukrainian border. Putin has consistently maintained that he has no intention of invading Ukraine that makes complete sense. He already controls the strategic Crimean Peninsula he seized March 1, 2014 in the wake of a CIA-backed coup that toppled the Kremlin-backed government of Viktor Yanukovych, threatening Russia’s Sevastopol, Crimea naval base. So, Western officials have completely misread Putin’s motives in mobilizizing Russian forces near the Ukrainian border. Putin would invade Ukraine if he sees a military operation designed to expel Russia from Crimea.
Biden spoke with Putin today but forgot to respond to Putin’s “red lines” about Ukraine joining NATO, more NATO encroachment on Russia in Eastern Europe and the continued flow of lethal arms into Ukraine. Arming Ukraine to the teeth has irked Putin because it portends a Ukrainian-U.S.-NATO military offensive to retake Crimea. While not admitting his immediate concerns, not to give Ukraine any ideas, the wily Putin has so far made Biden look weak, saying Jan. 25, 2022 that he would not put U.S. boots on the ground in Ukraine. Biden said Feb. 10, in a bizarre interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt that he wouldn’t commit troops because the U.S. and Russia shooting each other would cause WW III. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken has repeatedly told Ukraine’s 43-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky that the U.S. has “Ukraine’s back,” hinting at possible mission creep.
Pentagon’s mission often start out a defensive operation but end up committing U.S. troops, raising fears in Brussels that U.S. military involvement in Ukraine could spark a wider conflict, possibly WW III. Today’s call with Putin was a missed opportunity for Biden to reassure Putin that he will respond to Russia’s concerns about arming Ukraine and more NATO encroachment near the Russian border. Biden has insisted for nearly a month that Putin would invade Ukraine, something that hasn’t happened. State Department is fully engaged in evacuating U.S. diplomatic and civilian personnel in Ukraine, plus about 100 military advisers, something never admitted to by the White House. Putin knows now that Biden’s denials about U.S. troops in Ukraine were dishonest with U.S. military advisers training Ukrainian troops, something that worries Putin about Crimea.
Crimea is essential to Russian national security where its warm water fleet bases itself in Sevastopol. Zelensky has spent his time in office in May 20, 2019 begging NATO for membership, something that hasn’t happened because technically Ukraine has been at war with Russia, claiming it’s lost some 14,000 soldiers and civilians in fighting in Ukraine’s restive eastern territory. Russian speaking separatists want no part of the Kiev government, fighting Kiev for control over the autonomous Donbass region home to Donetsk and Luhansk. Breakaway leader Denis Pushilin vowed to defend the independence of Donbass, despite threats from Kiev to wipeout his control of Ukraine’s territory. U.S. officials have blamed Putin for stirring the pot in Donbass, when, in fact, Pusliilin vows to never rejoin the Kiev government. Putin has resisted Russia’s involvement in Donbass.
Ringing the alarm of the Russian invasion, Blinken and 45-year-old National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan have created panic in Kiev, insisting that a Russian invasion could occur at any time. Blinken and Sullivan have been saying that for the last month, showing they have no clue what Putin’s doing. Biden, Blinken and Putin have threatened Putin with punishing economic sanctions, if he invades Ukraine. Biden repeated the threat in his call with Putin today, doing nothing to defuse the Ukraine crisis. Biden thinks he’s playing President John F. Kennedy [JFK] in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when he stopped Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev from supplying Cuba with nuclear missiles. But there’s no parallel because Putin’s asking the U.S. and NATO to remove its arsenal near the Russian border. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) asked Biden to consider Putin’s side.
Solving the Ukraine crisis could happen overnight if Biden showed some flexibility and responsiveness to Putin’s request for more security guarantees. Biden has been pushed by Democrats and Republicans in Congress who have taken a hard line on the Kremlin. Biden has presented the European Union [EU] with a real dilemma, pushing the Ukraine situation to the brink but, at the same time, saying the U.S. would not commit troops to defend Ukraine. When Zelensky hears Biden, Blinken and Sullivan say the U.S. “has Ukraine’s back,” what do they really think when the White House rules out putting troops in Ukraine? But the real dilemma comes from Biden stirring up a hornet’s nest with the Russian Federation and essentially telling Brussels it’s their problem. Putin outlined his “red lines” which have been completely ignored by Biden leading to the current standoff.
