Fear Of Donald Trump Kept Putin From Invading Ukraine. Here’s How Trump Pulled It Off
By: BY: JOHN RATCLIFFE AND CLIFF SIMS
Cartoon removed for inflammatory content. [ph]
This is collusion. The real thing .
the storm
Donald Trump
Trump is the "Transformer"!
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Trump not only successfully deterred Russia from acting against Ukraine, he effectively deterred a lot of bad behavior across the planet.
A recent Harvard-Harris poll found that 62 percent of Americans believe that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if Donald Trump were still in the Oval Office. As former senior intelligence officials under President Trump, we agree with that view.
Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 when George W. Bush was president. Russia took Crimea in 2014 when Barack Obama was president. Russia has now invaded Ukraine with Joe Biden as president. However, when Donald Trump was president, Russia did not seize territory from any of its neighbors.
During his four years in office, Trump not only successfully deterred Russia from acting against Ukraine, he effectively deterred a lot of bad behavior across the planet. He focused on ending America’s foreign wars rather than launching new ones. At the same time, he brokered the Abraham Accords to expand peace in the Middle East.
The exercise of American power to deter adversaries is a complicated business. It involves a mix of military, economic, political, and diplomatic strategies and actions that together communicate the costs of threatening U.S. national interests.
Ultimately, the art of statecraft boils down to whether a president projects American strength that deters adversaries, or projects American weakness that emboldens our adversaries.
So how did Trump succeed in containing Putin while the Russian autocrat has run wild with others in the White House? Why was he so successful at spreading peace elsewhere? We believe the long answer begins with these ten ways that Donald Trump projected American strength and kept the bad guys in check:
- Rebuilt the American Military
- Crusaded for American Energy Dominance
- Set the Tone by Launching Surgical Missile Strikes in Syria in Early 2017
- Developed Strong Relationships with Middle Eastern Nations Based on Mutual Interests
- Was Ruthless with the Taliban While Winding Down the Afghanistan War
- Crushed the ISIS Caliphate
- Demonstrated a Consistent Willingness to Take out the Bad Guys
- Stood Up to China
- Strategically Used Unpredictability as an Asset in Foreign Affairs
- Advanced Tough Russia Policies and Provided Lethal Aid to Ukraine while Maintaining an Open Dialogue
Each of these points are worthy of unpacking in-depth, but there are several that illustrate the dramatic difference in approach between Trump and Biden, starting with Afghanistan.
When President Trump initiated the process of ending America’s longest war, senior officials huddled in the Situation Room to discuss tactical challenges on the ground. The president reminded the group of America’s humiliating withdrawal from Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War, and said we must do whatever it takes to leave in a safe, orderly, and dignified way. When military leaders bemoaned the costs and logistical challenges of bringing home our equipment, the president said that he did not care if it was a helicopter or a styrofoam cooler. If it had an American flag on it, it was either coming home or getting destroyed to keep it from falling into the hands of our enemies. He vowed that we would leave on our terms, or we would not leave at all.
Tragically, President Biden’s approach which included the decision to abandon the strategically important Bagram Air Base prior to the evacuation cost the lives of 13 American servicemembers and led to the Taliban parading victoriously through Kabul with billions of dollars of American combat equipment. The administration’s stunning incompetence detailed in an official U.S. Army report made the United States look weak and vulnerable on the world stage, and Putin was watching.
The world took notice when Trump ordered the killing of Iranian terrorist general Qassem Soleimani, who had operated with impunity throughout the Middle East until the U.S. military sent two Hellfire missiles through his vehicle. As a candidate for president, Biden released a statement condemning the righteous attack as a “hugely escalatory move” that brought us to “the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East.” This, of course, proved to not be the case, but it illustrated Biden’s unwillingness to do what it takes to establish credible deterrence.
This principle of deterrence applies across the globe, which explains why the Chinese military has sent a record number of airplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone since Biden took office.
To the specific case at hand, Trump was much tougher on Russia than the media have led people to believe, while Biden has been far softer.
Trump deployed such aggressive sanctions against Russia that President Obama’s Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called them the toughest in history, and he withdrew from one-sided treaties that hamstrung the U.S. while Russia violated the terms.
Biden has taken the opposite approach, appeasing Putin by handing him his top two geopolitical priorities on a silver platter. He unconditionally extended the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, allowing Russia to continue building tactical nuclear weapons while constraining our ability to modernize. And while Trump imposed sanctions to stop Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline in its tracks, construction was allowed to resume when Biden took office.
President Trump understood the power of building American energy dominance. By slashing onerous regulations, Trump sparked an American energy boom that ensured we would never be reliant on any other nation to meet our energy needs. Geopolitically, America’s increased export capacity reduced Putin’s leverage over our European allies, who depend on Russia for 40 percent of their gas and more than a quarter of their oil.
Trump approved the Keystone XL oil pipeline at home and shut down Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Eastern Europe. Biden reversed both decisions, meaning he has been harder on America’s energy producers than he has been on Russia’s. To add insult to injury, as the Russian army pushed into Ukraine, Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry hoped aloud that “President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate.”
Vladimir Putin’s appetite for expansion did not wane during the four years Trump was in office, and the world was not just miraculously a safer place. Bad actors like Putin simply knew that they had to restrain themselves or deal with the consequences. In nearly every way possible, President Biden has weakened the United States and our allies and empowered Putin. As a result, Russia is on the march, even as the Ukrainian people have inspired the world with their courage and resilience. And in the wings, America’s greatest threat Xi Jinping’s China waits, and watches.
John Ratcliffe served as the 6th U.S. Director of National Intelligence. Cliff Sims served as U.S. Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Strategy and Communications.
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Joe Biden is Putin’s female dog, loyal and obedient to his Chinese and Russian puppet masters. When Putin tells it to jump, it barks, “how high”? [Deleted]
How utterly ignorant of reality. Just bitter partisan nonsense. Buy a vowel.
And yet you lapped it all up and never said a critical word when others here spoke of Trump in very similar and nearly identical terms. No surprise there. You buy a vowel!
Making a bullshit claim to somehow make your words okay because 'they did it too' is childish and fallacious. If you cannot defend the crap you spew then you should think twice before posting.
It is delusional (and simply stupid) to think that Biden is Putin's bitch and that he is loyal and obedient to his Chinese and Russian puppet masters.
It is also unpatriotic to invent such ridiculous scenarios against the PotUS. Biden is most certainly a fair target for criticism. But inventing utter nonsense as you have done is not criticism; it is emotional, low-grade partisanship. And it is pathetic to see one stoop so low as to make such ridiculous allegations rather than offer sound, critical analysis.
That is a disgusting comment.
That's not the worst of it. The pedophilia comments are beyond the pale.
Nothing "christian" about any of it.
This is what this country gets for allowing belief in Trump to take hold 6 or 7 years ago. Trump was NEVER fit for office by any stretch of the imagination, yet we had millions of people who were apathetic toward him and took the absurd position that he was nothing other than a typical politician.
Now we are reaping what we sowed as a nation - no respect for anything and no objective judgement on political buffoonishness. The thinking goes they dont respect Trump so why should I respect Biden. This sort of "thinking" suggests that Trump was no worse than anyone and everyone else, despite the Himalayan mountains of evidence otherwise.
Reality has taken a big hit in the era of Trump.
People seemed to like Trump because they saw him as NOT a politician.
The problem is that the GOP somehow continues to overlook Trump's fundamentally flawed character (even after engaging in reckless abuse of authority after losing the election) and supports him for his policies ... as if no other GOP could engage in policies that are bread & butter to the GOP.
Was it disgusting when liberal members over the years said virtually identical things about President Trump? Were things like Trumps mouth being Putin’s cock holster among others singled out on similar grounds?
And yet you only speak up and criticize when I and other conservatives engage in partisanship while remaining silent when liberals are doing it to us and political people and ideals we support. The selective nature of your comment is noted and thus the comment as a whole here to be ignored on the basis of that double standard.
You all and Biden as long as he is President will get back all that you and he said about Trump tot for tat. In addition to debate over unalterably opposing policy disagreements about just about everything and disagreements about what America was, is, and should be.
Seems to me that you cannot comprehend the utter absurdity of your comments. They are over-the-top irrational:
Whining that 'they do it too' does not excuse the disgusting, delusional crap you spew such as this ⇡
But no other GOP leader did do that. What was bread and butter issues to the GOP before Trump largely are not bread and butter issues to us now. Once the GOP is fully transformed away from our elite establishment big business globalist types to reflect our largely theistic multiracial working, middle, and small business class America first populist nationalist conservative and libertarian blend party then we can look to new leaders in that mold from every ethnic background. De Santis is emerging in that mold and others are coming.
When you criticize the others that do it to in the same manner as you selectively single me out for, then I will listen to you and consider what you say, until then I will turn a deaf ear to you and engage biden and his partisans/supporters in exactly the same measure and tone here as they engaged Trump and his supporters here.
I have noted when I thought a comment about Trump was beyond the pale. It's not my fault you seem to miss that.
Well prior to the 2016 election it was well known that Trump was a pathological liar, and a crook. And a bully. And bigoted.
We need to stop making excuses for the segment of the electorate who not only accepted all that in the candidate but in many cases even cheered it on.
Fuck Trump. People are tired of your ignorant shit. Trump is unfit to lead a political party in the United States of America. [deleted]
[deleted]
No, I will not do that. Your fixation about Trump is not my issue. He is leading a political party whether you like it or not. He became President of the United States of America and will always have and be known by that title regardless of what you think about it. Remember back in 2015/2016 when I was a big time never Trumper? Between his election and his inauguration, you were a big time contributor to me moving from a 3rd party voter relieved Hillary wasn’t elected fence sitter regarding him to my becoming an all In supporter of him. I’ll always appreciate you for that.
And yet because of him and his policy ideas, the GOP became an inclusive multiracial and multi class party
[Deleted]
John, are you suggesting that I am in some way making excuses for Trump voters?
If you are, then recognize the difference between expressing the likely reasons why people voted for Trump (and continue to support the asshole) and making excuses for those who voted for Trump.
Agreed and it is beyond ignorant. It is delusional.
And the continued support of Trump by the GOP is a self-inflicted disease.
Trump is the cure for what is presently ailing America.
I don’t need anyone making excuses for my continued support for President Trump and the ideas he advocates for. I’m proud to continue my support for him and look forward to next weekend and his next big rally.
Yeah, so? You clearly will support Trump no matter what he does. No doubt everyone of the frequent members on this site knows this. Accordingly your comments lack credibility. If someone is going to support Trump no matter what then clearly that is not a result of rational thinking — it is blind, head-in-the-sand support.
And don't play your oft-used Pee Wee Herman card and claim that others support Biden no matter what he does ... "so you get to do likewise". Your support for Trump is absolutely blind and unconditional. Such extreme blindness is a rarity.
It’s a free country and I’m simply expressing free speech 1st amendment supported political opinion and support.
I support Trump. It is a reason based rational support. It is not “no matter what he does”. If he breaks with me such that I can no longer support him, everyone here will find out.
That is a biased and subjective statement.
(my cut off reply to post re pasted below)
The fact that I was once an unalterably opposed “never Trumper” belies your whole attempted insult and personal put down since I once had a position and then based on actions and policy choices he made and the enemies he made domestically led me to re evaluate my opposition to him and become a supporter.
The difference is that I don’t care
(My cut off reply to post continued further below)
much what Biden supporters say and do in response to the obvious failure that he is as a president
Actually it is a reasoned and rational support of a person based on performance and policy issues. You have tried and failed in your attempt to persuade me to change my mind, so you now resort to slander, libel, and defamation against me and my beliefs in retaliation
Actually it’s not. It is quite common place among many in the bi coastal secular progressive urban elites in their ivory towers, limousine liberals, and pro science consensus types arrogantly condescending
(My cut off reply to post continued further below re pasted)
in their fascist like intolerance of diversity of thought, belief, and ideas.
Foreign enemies respected Trump and feared crossing him and us. They mock and laugh at Biden and wonder what happened to America as they fear us not.
The entire U.N. General Assembly laughed at Trump's complete stupidity when he gave his idiotic speech there in 2018.
I asked XX in another one of his fawning articles about Trump to produce some examples of brilliant comments Trump has made publicly. Crickets ensued.
All of Trumps comments on the border, energy independence, trade, national security, taxes, making America great again, putting America first, and populist nationalism are brilliant.
Most of Trump's comments are insane drivel. Some are dangerous. Here's an example:
Actually, he wasn’t stating anything there but was simply asking a question.
Actually, he's a feeble-minded fascist.
See? Can’t even identify a single “brilliant” comment. Just sycophantic generalizations. Sickening. Reminds me of when Sarah Palin was asked which magazines she read, in reference to how informed she is. She replied “oh, all of them”. No answer from either of them because of how out of touch both of these Americans are.
Said anyone with more than half a brain.
No, the fascists are the present President of the USA and the PM of Canada. And cognitively speaking, Biden truly is the most feeble minded person ever to become our President.
That is what Axis Annie and Tokyo Rose said about Franklin D Roosevelt in World War II...
Biden is a delusional cognitively challenged far left progressive elitist.
Reagan was certainly right about that!
A few more equally idiotic quotes from Reagan :
“Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do.”
"A tree's a tree. How many more do you need to look at?"
"Fascism was really the basis for the New Deal."
"All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant can be stored under a desk." (In reality, the average nuclear reactor generates 30 tons of radioactive waste per year.)
"Growing and decaying vegetation in this land are responsible for 93 percent of the oxides of nitrogen."
"We think there is a parallel between federal involvement in education and the decline in profit over recent years."
"We were told four years ago that 17 million people went to bed hungry every night. Well, that was probably true. They were all on a diet."
"Because Vietnam was not a declared war, the veterans are not even eligible for the G. I. Bill of Rights with respect to education or anything."
"I would have voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964."
"I know all the bad things that happened in that war. I was in uniform four years myself." ("In costume" is more like it. Reagan spent World War II making Army training films at Hal Roach Studios in Hollywood.)
The one that says the most about Reagan and his reactionary fans: "Why should we subsidize intellectual curiosity?" (Campaign speech, 1980)
A quote from one of the people who knew Reagan best :
"He has the ability to make statements that are so far outside the parameters of logic that they leave you speechless."
--Patti Davis (formerly Patricia Ann Reagan) talking about her father, The Way I See It
Reagan Quotes - The Reagan Years (tripod.com)
Some of the many commentators, including life-long conservatives, who have truthfully called Trump a fascist :
David Frum, George W. Bush speechwriter: There's a Word for What Trumpism Is Becoming - The Atlantic
Nick Cohen in The Guardian: If Trump looks like a fascist and acts like a fascist, then maybe he is one | Nick Cohen | The Guardian
Steven Calabresi, cofounder of the Federalist Society “I am frankly appalled by the president’s recent tweet seeking to postpone the November election… this latest tweet is fascistic” Conservatives Are Finally Using the F-Word for Trump’s “Delay the Election” Tweet | Vanity Fair
And yet Reagan and Trump are among our best Presidents
No one with more than half a brain agrees.
The Pro-Trucker-Convoy Rally Is Another Failure for Far-Right Demonstrators in DC
Those people are even crazier than we could imagine:
"QAnon and anti-vaccine contingents within the groups have seized on a false conspiracy theory that the war is a cover for a military operation backed by former President Donald Trump in Ukraine.
The conspiracy theory, which is baseless and has roots in QAnon mythology, alleges that Trump and Putin are secretly working together to stop bioweapons from being made by Dr. Anthony Fauci in Ukraine and that shelling in Ukraine has targeted the secret laboratories"
Congrats on possessing the awesome talent of being able to agree with your own comment from 2.1.5 in comment 2.1.9, most impressive!
The rest of us get that so many conservatives fill the same description Reagan's daughter gave of him, as Comment 2.1.24 proves perfectly.
Contempt would be a justified feeling to have regarding and toward them at this point.
Lol, for real?
It’s not a laughing matter now and yes, the statement is completely true.
The seed left off the eleventh and biggest reason that Putin didn't invade the Ukraine until now.
11. Trump was helping Putin achieve his objectives until the 2020 election changed that.
Putin wants a weaker NATO, a change in the political leadership in the Ukraine and a general undermining of democracy globally. Trump shared those goals and was assisting to the degree that his ineptness allowed, Putin's attainment of them.
And Trump insisted that NATO increase its defense spending so we could defend ourselves. Trump insisted NATO not become dependent upon Russia for energy.
Trump gave real weapons to the Ukrainian government and supported Zelensky’s reforms.
Trump was harder on Russia than any President since Reagan pre Gorbachev. Opposed them in the middle east, raised defense spending, depleted Russia’s foreign exchange by exporting coal and natural gas to their former clients.
(My cut off comments re pasted from 4.1 below)
Putin didn’t invade Ukraine on Trumps watch…
And finally, XXXJeff aka CH4P, has revealed to the World what ensued behind those closed doors at Helsinki. Summed up in a nutshell, Trump told Putin that he ( Trump ) is the man and if you ( Putin ) act up I'll beat the crap out of you.
Or maybe the above paragraph is not entirely accurate.
Trump, unlike “let’s go Brandon”, is a real American.
That’s pretty much what happened and 2017-2020 history proves it to be true. Putin knew better than to mess with us with Trump in office. All Obama, Hillary, and Brandon did was drive Putin and Russia in to the open arms of Chairman Zi and the other evil empire.