Joe Biden appears unable to make hard decisions, as evidenced by his hesitancy on whether to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles deep into Russia. All the while, Vladimir Putin continues to stockpile missiles and practice nuclear weapon drills. Following the historic election victory of Donald Trump, it was clear what America’s stance was, but Biden’s indecisiveness leaves Ukraine in the lurch.
Keir Starmer, the UK’s Prime Minister, and Emmanuel Macron, France’s President, are trying their best to prevent the decline in US support for Ukraine initiated by Biden’s lackadaisical approach. On Monday, they are set to discuss whether Biden can be persuaded to let Ukraine fire the potent Western Storm Shadow missiles.
The Telegraph suggests that there might be some hope for Biden to finally approve this in a desperate bid to salvage his foreign policy legacy. Storm Shadow missiles, despite being manufactured in the UK and France, need US technology to be effective. Yet, under Biden’s rule, Ukraine is only allowed to use these deadly weapons under specific limited conditions.
Meanwhile, Russia is amassing a frightening arsenal at its airfields, seemingly gearing up for a horrific assault on Ukraine. According to top Ukraine official Andriy Kovalenko, Russia is prepared for ‘massive attacks’. Russia’s frightening readiness includes strategically accumulating missiles and maintaining aircraft readiness for launch.
Adding to Ukraine’s fears, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that eight strategic bombers took off one Monday morning, headed towards launch areas over the Caspian Sea in what appeared to be a nuclear practice run. Kovalenko further highlighted the danger, noting the Russians’ use of simulated launch tactics. ‘The enemy uses it for psychological pressure’, he stated.
In the immediate aftermath of Trump’s election victory, there was talk of a potential plan to end the war. His approach involved setting up a demilitarized zone across the front line and obtaining assurances from Kyiv not to join NATO for 20 years. In return, the US, properly armed under Trump’s administration, would deter Putin from future invasions.
What’s more, the former head of MI6 believed that Trump could authorize Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russia. Despite concerns following his election victory, many confidently believed that Trump would toughen his stance on Putin, dismissing the suggestion of a softer approach as mere rumors.
Ukraine has long been advocating for fewer restrictions on the use of American and British weaponry, aiming to fire long-range rockets into Russian territory. However, with no air force cover to defend against attacks, Kyiv argues that broader missile use could significantly push back Russian forces. However, countries like Biden’s America seemed too hesitant to approve such usage due to fear of further escalation.
Uniquely, Trump seemed less risk-averse than Biden when it came to American weapons being used in Ukraine. Analysts can easily imagine a scenario where Trump lifted restrictions on Ukraine’s use of advanced American missile technology.
Prior to his election victory, Trump often expressed his belief that he could promptly end the war in Ukraine. Confidently, he stated that Russia ‘would never have attacked Ukraine’ if he were president. Contrastingly, Biden appears too shy to even praise leaders like Vladimir Putin, something Trump was comfortable doing.
Despite some claiming an ‘overexaggeration’ in Trump’s comments, there’s no denying that his administration was in a better position to resolve the conflict than Biden’s. He also offered a contrary point of view, arguing that the new administration should actively seek peace, rather than perpetuating warfare.
During his tenure, Trump managed to maintain a positive relationship with Russia and keep Putin at a distance, a feat Biden seems incapable of achieving. Since the start of Biden’s rule, the lackadaisical approach of his administration has done nothing to deter an aggressive Putin from launching his invasion.