Victor Davis Hanson
American Greatness
Fable One: Donald Trump Is Appeasing Russia?
Who wiped out the Wagner group in Syria? Who sold offensive weapons to Ukraine first? Who warned Germany not to become dependent on the Russian Nord Stream II deal?
Who withdrew from an unfair missile deal with the Russians? Who cajoled and berated NATO members to meet their military investment promises made following the 2014 invasion of Ukraine?
In contrast, who originally conceived a Russian “reset” in 2009? Who publicly virtue-signaled pushing the red “reset” button in Geneva with the current Russian Minister Sergey Lavrov?
Which ex-European leader got a million euros a year working for Russian energy companies?
Of the last four presidents, under whose watch did Putin not invade another country?
Which American president, in hot-mic style, offered to (and did) dismantle US-Eastern Europe missile defense plans in exchange for temporary Putin quietude (“space”) to aid his 2012 reelection?
Fable Two: A Trade War?
Donald Trump is not wildly slapping tariffs on Europeans.
He is simply saying that 1945 is now 80 years past and that the asymmetrical tariffs that Europe imposes on U.S. imports should be corrected. The massive trade surpluses Europe accumulates each year should give way to fairer, more balanced trade.
If Europe does not want tariffs, then simply calibrate its own tariffs on what America places on European imported goods, and work down jointly to zero tariffs on both sides.
Fable Three: America Is Bullying Europe?
The U.S. does not actively interfere in European elections and politics.
In 2024, Europeans, especially the British Laborites, bragged about sending over campaign “volunteers” to work against Trump and, earlier, his conservative predecessors.
British subject Christopher Steele sought to sabotage an entire American 2016 election with a falsified “dossier.”
The Ukrainian ambassador in 2016 wrote an op-ed all but endorsing Hillary Clinton and trashing her opponent.
In September 2024, Mr. Zelenskyy was flown in on a Biden-provided US military jet to Scranton, Pennsylvania—at a pivotal time in the most pivotal swing state—to surround himself with Democrat politicos.
His media-frenzied presence signaled a partisan campaign theme that a Harris win and the continuance of massive Democrat aid to Ukraine would ensure manufacturing jobs, such as the artillery shell factory he selected to visit.
As to NATO, Trump’s pressure from 2017 to 2021 finally pushed more NATO nations to rearm. But even eleven years after promising to invest a mere 2 percent of GDP in defense, nine of the 32 members still have not complied.
Fable Four: Negotiating With Putin Is Selling Out?
In the long history of Western diplomacy with mass-murdering tyrants, Putin doesn’t even rank among the worst. Just ask his former reset partners Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
FDR fueled mass-murdering “Uncle Joe” Stalin’s Red Army as a way to defeat Nazi Germany.
Richard Nixon flattered and cajoled the greatest mass murderer in history, Mao Zedong, to triangulate China against the Soviet Union.
Ronald Reagan offered to share missile defense expertise with Soviet Russia.
Europeans have hosted almost every Palestinian murderous terrorist leader, as a way either of deflecting terrorism from their own shores or emphasizing their general loathing of Israel.
Fable Five: Europe Is Going To Save Ukraine?
Europe rushed to congratulate and celebrate with Zelensky after his preplanned White House blow-up. They are loudly announcing that a supposedly isolationist and appeasing U.S.—which has sent more aid to Ukraine than all nearby European nations combined—will now be supplanted by a “new” muscular and rearmed Europe.
We sincerely hope so.
But on every recent international moral question—ganging up on a lone Israel to appease terrorist forces in the Middle East, standing up to China’s mercantilism, neo-imperialism, and domestic oppression of minorities, or Russia’s prior 2008 and 2014 invasions—European outrage has been muted, real consequences nonexistent.
We are now witnessing European heads of state sending the same old, same old virtue signaling support for the brave Zelenskyy, who supposedly spoke truth to power to the mean U.S. Orange Man.
But where does such performance art lead after the cult hero Zelenskyy had gnawed the hand that gorged him?
To multitudes of European tanks, skies full of European jets, and division after division of crack European infantry now heading east to “back up” Ukraine—led on horseback by its new Joan of Arc, Ursula von der Leyen?
Aside from all the present posturing and mock-heroics, the only way to save Ukraine is for the U.S. president, Donald Trump, to reflect joint Ukrainian, American, and European interests in stopping the war, forcing Putin as far back eastward as possible where he started in 2022, and creating a credible deterrent along with a DMZ/industrial corridor tripwire to stop another 2008, 2014, and 2022 invasion.
Anything else is empty carnival barking.
“hardly a Republican”
You are going to hope that everyone – especially those deployed to Europe as worker bees who were there watching this unfold from beginning to end – forgets that the process of disarming Ukraine of it’s nukes began and proceeded long before Clinton replaced Bush?
Can we call it a step forward that you’re acknowledging that Ukraine was disarmed on the premise of American promises that those nukes would no longer be necessary as American military might would replace them?
You should research Zelinsky more. He is a dictator. He, like the democrats, censor his political opposition, persecute Christians and didn’t have an election so he could stay in power. He and our deep state/politicians have biolabs in Ukraine. He can’t beat Russia but he keeps sending his men to death. He has several homes around the world, thanks to you and I. Putin was willing to negotiate but the day he went to sign the rare earth minerals deal with President Trump, democrats got to him prior and told him to reject that deal. That’s why President Trump was angry.
I agree with you!
Your post lacks any facts, it is all opinion based on your fragile feelings. Throwing around the word “fascism” is lazy and irresponsible, just like using the word “racism”. They are both over-used and totally inaccurate but used for dramatics. Go fact check your post and get back to us.
With all due respect for you, Victor, the previous cadence Trump had Mike Pompeo by his side, who knew what he was doing. Because, sadly, now, on his own, our President doesn’t understand much about EU or Russia/Putin.
https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/05_trilateral_process_pifer.pdf
The Ukraine owned its nuclear weapons inherited from the collapse of the USSR. The above article details the negotiations in which it’s clear they do. The maintenance of the weapons was an agreement between the Ukraine and Russia.
Yup, you’re a deranged carnival barker.
Thank you
That’s right Mike. And those negotiations started and were primarily conducted under Bush. They started immediately after the USSR crumbled and Ukraine became the country with the third largest nuclear arsenal in 1991.
You’re implying Bush was indifferent to and completely ignored Ukraine’s stockpile for THREE YEARS – and then Clinton showed up and got it done in less than a year as one of his greatest priorities as a new president?
We wrote a military cheque to Ukraine, assuming that it would never be cashed. Wrong.
Ukraine having those nukes terrified us. Partially because of fears a senior Ukraine military leader with a grudge resulting from family lost during the Holdimor might launch one at Moscow, or alternately Ukraine might sell some of those nukes or exchange for other weapons.
Those negotiations were aimed at getting Ukraine to willingly join into the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That ultimately became the Budapest agreement Clinton signed, disarming Ukraine of their nuclear arsenal.
What a great victory for us to disarm Ukraine of those nukes that terrified us 40 years ago – and to now have those nukes terrifying us yet again as Putin now has them aimed at us here in the USA!
So now we have a war that shouldn’t have happened where we’re complaining about the cost of the indulgences we’re spending money on to salve our conscience – and now those nukes are still terrifying us, except now they’re in Putin’s hands.
““We” didn’t disarm Ukraine.”
Is this the ol’ semantics game? What does your version of “we” mean – those commenting here? Our government today? Or America?
Tell us then: If it wasn’t American government negotiators who made promises to Ukraine in order to convince Ukraine to surrender their nukes to the Russian Federation, then who did it?
Trump? Came from New York and Studio 54 to cut that deal?
If you’re going to play silly bugger, then I’ll play too.
That agreement was still in effect and the fighting in Ukraine was still going on – while Ukrainians were still fighting beside us (I don’t know why) in Afghanistan – during Trump’s first term.
So yes, Trump failed to honor our commitments to our war ally, just as Obama and Biden did, as you’re so eager to point out. He’s failing to honor that military commitment still – although at this point there’s pragmatic reasons not to.
Putin didn’t invade again because Trump gave Ukraine some weapons – he invaded again after Trump left despite the few weapons Trump gave them. Javelin missiles aren’t enough to win. He believed that if he invaded again, Trump then would honor the agreement.
If you don’t understand the concept of future second and third order consequences, consider this:
The nukes that Ukraine had pointed at Moscow are now in Putin’s hands pointed at America.
There would be no war in Ukraine to complain about if Ukraine had decided we were untrustworthy as an ally and kept those nukes they had primarily pointed at Moscow.
You can tap-dance around that fact and deflect regarding “perspective & proportionality”, but the simple fact is there would be no war if they had kept the nukes, and no war if we had told Putin an attack would result in us honoring our military commitments.
An example of second and third order consequences is that those nukes that so terrified us that we offered our military as Ukraine’s replacement deterrent and defense, are now in Putin’s hands – now primarily pointed at us here in America.
Yes, we have purchased indulgences, reneging on our commitment to be Ukraine’s deterrent and defense if attacked. We preferred to spend billions rather than honor our commitment which would invariably mean American blood spilled, and sent weapons for Ukrainians to fight alone with.
No president believed for one moment that would be sufficient for Ukraine to stop Russia. Money to salve our guilt.
We have seen how little accountability we have here, the waste and diversion of taxpayer money – but as mentor to the world, we’re complaining that Ukraine, fighting for survival in a war can’t do a better job than we can at peace here in America?
In the big picture, what happens to Ukraine doesn’t matter. The second and third order consequences of world leaders seeing us once again desert a war ally are going to matter.
You want us/me to believe that we promised Ukraine, blankets, cash and weapons in exchange for surrendering thousands of nuclear weapons? Where did you get that excuse?
That was sufficient to have them give up their deterrent to Russia, with memories of The Holdimor genocide 50 years earlier fresh in the memories of Ukrainians?
If they wanted money, weapons, or blankets, they could have started trading a few of those nukes.
Purchasing indulgences to salve the guilt of your sins might work in some churches, but it doesn’t work with world leaders watching us renege on commitments made to an ally who has been fighting beside us for over a decade. Second and third order consequences are a real thing, whether Afghanistan or Ukraine.
Dear, there would be NO killing if the Ukrainians had decided America, their enemy while they were a Warsaw Pact nation, could not be trusted and they had turned our pleas down and kept their nukes.
There would be NO killing if we had made it clear that an attack on Ukraine would involve an attack on the American military – which is why Putin behaved himself while Trump was president.
Wearing beer goggles doesn’t even work in bars.
Larry, It offends your civilian mindset to be reminded that we made a military commitment to Ukraine because the nukes they possessed terrified us? The nukes Putin is now pointing at us?
Yes, my military is showing in that, when we make a military commitment, it should be kept. Never mind out of principles and morality, but because if you’re seen as untrustworthy, allies you made those commitments to will start looking for alternatives where they don’t have to rely on you.
That’s why when we suffer the 9/11 attacks (after ignoring the warning of repeated terrorist attacks while Clinton was president), the nations of NATO go into Afghanistan – and Iraq – beside us to fight what was primarily OUR WAR.
I gather that you chose to exercise your right to stay home safe on the couch as a civilian for the 20 years that thousands like me were doing repeated deployments to keep the hajjis away and you relatively safe and secure at home.
If you’d chosen to serve, you’d have had a hard time not noticing that much of the load in Afghanistan was carried by our NATO allies like the Brits and Canada. And Ukraine, BTW, despite the fact they weren’t attacked, they weren’t NATO members, and it wasn’t their war.
They were honoring their commitments as NATO members, even though many like Canada had suffered no terrorist hajji attacks.
Your civilian mindset is the reason for “forever wars” directed by civilian politicians, instead of General Schwarzkopf type wars like the Gulf War.
Hey Alex – does it make you feel really squishy and girlish inside to be reminded that we have repeatedly reneged on our promises to a war ally? It can go down the Memory Hole if you can convince people to not keep pointing it out? Your Memory Hole – or do you think world leaders will forget about it as well?
You live in a world where international agreements we make become null and void the moment the president who entered us into those agreements leaves office?
Struggle with the idea that getting Europe’s NATO members to meet their commitments is completely separate from the fact that we have been an abject, treacherous failure to meet our commitments to Ukraine.
Can’t deal with two separate issues in the same day? Week? Month?
Had Ukraine decided America could not be trusted when we offer military aid in exchange for something we want, Ukraine would still have those nukes pointed at Russia, and there would be no war in Ukraine for us to whine about. Whining because of the indulgences we purchased to make up for repeatedly selling Ukraine down the river on the commitments we made to Ukraine to get them to surrender those nukes.
We made that commitment to defend Ukraine – not to give them money – in exchange for them surrendering the nukes we were terrified of them having. And now those nukes that were pointed at Moscow when Ukraine had them, are in Putin’s hands – pointed at us. So those nukes we were terrified of 40 years ago in Ukraine hands have come full circle to terrify us now in Putin’s hands.
There’s some second and third order consequences for us, if you want to talk about how our war ally Ukraine got sold down the river.
There’s
“The Ukraine wilfully chose to push for NATO membership despite it being clearly unacceptible per long standing agreements for decades.”
When was Ukraine allegedly pushing for NATO membership? Was that before or after we allowed Putin to invade in 2014 – after Ukraine had been fighting beside us in Afghanistan for 13 years?
Was that in exchange for them agreeing to our requests that they surrender the 2,000+ tactical and strategic nuclear weapons they had? As I remember it, we promised them we would use our military forces – not blankets, rations, money and weapons – to serve as their deterrent and defense if they did that? No mention of NATO membership.
I also old enough to remember the Cuban missile crisis – if you can remember that crisis, you can remember us getting Ukraine to surrender their nukes and what we promised them if they did surrender those nukes that terrified us.
Also no quid pro quo of NATO membership when they were one of the very first nations to send their troops after 9/11 into Afghanistan with us – despite the fact they weren’t attacked, had no Muslim population to worry about, and didn’t say “not our war”.
14 previous Warsaw Pact nations joined NATO without a Putin invasion. Normal people might think that Ukraine is different because of something of value there.
The excuse of Putin claiming countries like Canada, Denmark, etc will willingly join us in a land invasion of Russia from Ukraine is both sophomoric and worn out.
In the last three weeks, we have seen a dramatic Trump policy shift against Ukraine and in favor of Putin.
– removing all US military support for Ukraine
– removing US Intel support for Ukraine (leaving them battlefield vulnerable, minute one)
– removing US cyber offensive threat against Russia
We are rewarding the fascist aggressor over a stalwart ally instead of leading a deterrence campaign – perhaps a NATO lead no fly zone to initiate a cease fire.
Starting with Vance’s Euro speech, we could have rallied NATO to the 5% of GDP commit toward real deterrent action, like a Putin-deterring no fly zone over Ukraine held territories. A weakened Russia (thanks to Zelensky) would have to agree to a cease fire or suffer much more battlefield, financial and internal sentiment setbacks. How different the world would now be had we done so. Instead Putin gets the wheat belt, the Black Sea ports and an emboldened war machine. Either Trump doesn’t have the nerve to physically deter Putin or Trump prefers this tawdry Putin power outcome. Once Trump found a way to blame Z for a US withdrawal, he seized it. That’s not the role of the leader of the free world.
Right. The only “new” territory Russia now control that they did not prior to the move comprises the Donbas and the Crimea. both of these regions have been Russian in origin, religion, language, culture, for hundreds of years, well before the Soviet era. Sebastopol has been Russia’s main and only reliable year round saltwater seaport for centuries.
Had Vickie Nuland not sold Ukriane down the river in 2014, NONE of this would be happening. today. And Valenskyyyy would probably still be demonstrating his piano peckering skills in some dusky crusty nightclub somewhere of little consequence.
The Ukraine wilfully chose to push for NATO membership despite it being clearly unacceptible per long standing agreements for decades. In fact since the very beginning of NATO it was agred that the Ukraine would not be brought into tht group. When one studies the small events leading up to Putin’s decision to cross the border and enter the Ukraine in his own defense it becomes utterly clear that Putin was simply emulating John Kennedy in his string stance against Soviet nuclear missiles being deployed in Cuba. I well remember that frightening time. We were all wondering whether we would wake up the next morning or would have been fried by a wave of Nikita’s big nukes dropping on us overnight. I lived through that, so don’t tell me I know not of what I speak. Kennedy stood fast for the rest of us and Nikita backed down, realising somehow that things would not go well with him had he persisted. Right now I can still see the newsreel images of those ships bearing the missiles.
Because of NATO’s article 5. Anyone attacking a NATO based country, all NATO based countries are automatically drawn into the war. Hence why all conservative based countries are now siding with Putin and not wanting to put their citizens and money into war. If you want to end war, you need to make strides to allow the people of that country to vote on Whether to get involved or not. Leaders have always just pushed their citizens and in zelenskys case he’s kidnapping people off the streets to join a war that shouldn’t be. Period. The info above I feel is liberal bullshit. And tells half a story. I have family in Odessa and vinitsky and trust me zelensky is a nazi loving sympathizing part of Ukraine. Ukraine is cut in half. Donbass is mostly Russian Odessa the same etc….. the fact that liberal media hides this from you and hides the fact the zelensky was illegitimately placed in as president and had poroshenko ousted and jailed , all the opposition was jailed. And he doesn’t allow specific religions to be practiced. Just shows how ignorant most people are around the world. Listening only to the liberal owned media.
I would love to witness VDH obliterate Michael McFaul on this topic. McFaul releases a non-stop barrage of blatant lies about Trump and Putin, including the nonsense that Trump is buddy-buddy with Putin. In fact, Trump has been Putin’s greatest adversary, whereas McFaul’s old boss, Obama, sucked up to Putin and failed to respond to Crimea, the invasion of the Donbas, and the shooting down of a civilian airliner. McFaul also praised Biden’s imaginary “statesmanship” when meeting with European leaders in 2014, even though Biden was utterly lost and incoherent at that time.
No doubt, that is why McFaul only writes when responses require “membership”, including his own PAID site. He doesn’t belong on the Hoover Institution site.
“We” didn’t disarm Ukraine. Nor has it been “four successive American administrations”. Putin took Crimea and invaded the Donbas while Obama was President. Putin did nothing while Trump was President, in part because Trump finally provided Ukraine with weapons. Biden blocked continued deliveries, pumped billions into Putin’s coffers by hindering domestic energy production, and publicly allowed for a “minor incursion”.
Two administrations did fail Ukraine: Obama and Biden.
I wasn’t aware that Bill Clinton was a Republican. The agreement among nations was signed in 1994. From the Wikipedia page, “On December 5, 1994 the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States signed a memorandum to provide Ukraine with security assurances in connection with its accession to the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state.”
No one ever said any such things, so it most certainly is NOT “in other words”.
To dismiss your comments as absurd is far kinder than deserved. Conspicuous in its absence, you fail to cite anything in which VDH is in error. You chose also to ignore the meeting between Zenelnskyy and liberals immediately prior to meeting with Trump; these are the ones who coached Zelenskyy into “getting tough”. You blissfully ignore that it had been Trump who provided weapons to Ukraine, weapons that Obama refused and that Biden later blocked. Biden empowered Putin by crimping domestic energy development, soon afterward publicly begging Putin for more oil. Biden pumped scores of billions into Putin’s coffers after Trump had reduced them in major fashion. Biden then okayed a “minor incursion” as dependency on Putin increased.
Somehow, to you, Trump is to blame. Your tether to reality apparently snapped.
“But even eleven years after promising to invest a mere 2 percent of GDP in defense, nine of the 32 members still have not complied.”
So, 23 of NATO members have been bullied into investing heavily in American weapons. In spite that American weapons are rather expensive and, by the look of the results in the war in Ukraine, well matched by cheaper Russian ones.
VDH, agree with your conclusion. Maybe it would be helpful to review applicable key events and players (both private and political) since the change to the Soviet Union after Reagan for a clearer picture leading up to the present situation. In one case, just find it interesting Putin snubbed an investment effort pushing radical Western liberal ideology funded by George Soros on Russian society between 2000-2003. Seems ironic same person/organization is funding liberal causes in institutions over the years in the U.S. and perhaps even Europe. Perhaps this is why there’s continuing effort to support the current war??? Anyways, having a peace plan ensuring Ukrainian security (and Russia) may be successful for all.
March 7. Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes . . . and the prospect of American extractors in potential harm’s way is not exactly isolationist.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes . . . and the prospect of American extractors in potential harm’s way is not exactly isolationist.
“Why does Trump never use his “art of deal” pressure tactics against Putin?”
Maybe he is? You – as do most of President Trump’s critics – rarely take into account the messes brought about by Obama and Obama (through Biden) in 2014 and 2022. Ukraine’s problems cannot be solved with the democrat status quo of blood lust. It’s time for a commercial agreement to end the bloodshed to bring about lasting peace.
If only Ursula von der Leyen would meet the same end as Joan of Arc.
Rick, Your military is showing.
Your thinking style is why the Balkans exist and why civilian leadership was cemented into America’s Constitution.
Stand aside and let American Citizens guide us out of last century’s mess.
Also suggest you try rhetorical quality rather quantity.
It’s said “Pride goeth before a fall”. I see strong evidence, in many instances, among the recently titled ‘Elites’: the Progressives, the Leftist cabals, Deep State affiliates, and so forth. The irony- for all their self-avowed superiority and beliefs they are right about everything, they cannot see the terrain ahead, which has them destined for a massive, all-hands political faceplant. All of their own making. I was buoyed by the sight of a pale, sallow Nancy Pelosi at the President’s address to Congress. Burned out.
Since when was Iraq and Afghanistan “our wars?” Isn’t terrorism a global threat?
NVM, I’m responding to someone who thinks nuclear weapons are the answer.
The whole event is the NeoCons of the West’s fault, and it’s been many, many years in the making. If things were fair, Russia should probably get the entirety of Ukraine. Russia of today is not the USSR of yesteryear. We need to normalize and move forward, and frankly, the EU (like the WEF, IMF, WHO, etc.) need to go buh bye, and Europe needs go back to being proud independent Nations again – with the overload of migrants (who could give a rat’s arse about the culture or history of whatever Nation they are currently occupying and extorting) sent back to from whence they came. And, the sooner the better.
There, I said it out loud.
-T
you have to be a special kind of ummm let’s say; willfully blind; to trust an american politician. 95% of americans had never heard of ukraine before putin invaded and would have been happy to tell the ukrainian leaders that “no; we we’re not sending our kids to your country to fight the russians”
r.e. “preplanned White House blow-up” : it seems to me and many other observers that the Trump administration orchestrated kind of their own planned smack down of Zelensky. First insult him by calling him a dictator, then when he comes to the WH goad him with a reporter criticizing his mode of dress, then start talking about diplomacy and when he pushes back by bringing up the past Putin broken treaties, brutally smack him down. Then stop his military aid and revoke refugee status for all Ukrainians in the US. Maybe this is necessary to force Zelensky to meekly accept the cr*p sandwich Ukraine has to eat, in order to make it a permanent rump state of Russia and avoid nuclear war. It is very ugly to watch however. Why does Trump never use his “art of deal” pressure tactics against Putin?
So once Ukraine is sacrificed to Russia in order to bring peace, will Taiwan be the next country to be abandoned by the US and sacrificed to China in order to bring peace?
Exactly right. Apart from the fact that this was a CIA/NATO inspired war to service the money laundering and MIC interests in Congress. America is invested with having Russia as an enemy. I mean what would all those Russian speaking cold war analysts do, learn Chinese?
I wonder how secure Putin feels, when win or lose, China is free to gobble up Siberia.
It seems to be a matter of perspective & proportionality. U.S. has sent billions in cash & armanents to Ukraine to fight this proxy war with Russia. Ukraine cannot win this war for various reasons, and Americans will no longer tolerate the out-of-control spending of Washington, D.C.
As well, there has been little accountability by Ukraine in terms of the use of funds, where Zelenskyy has probably self-enriched along with others. It’s time to cut bait with the caveat that a joint venture mining deal might reimburse U.S. taxpayers over time, as in America First.
The war is lost, zelensky is a fraud, and russia is no joke. EU needs to woke up.
The deal didn’t promise US troops. We have met our obligations. If Zelensky wants our money and weapons, then he better not dictate terms to us. Tune to stop the killing.
Ukraine cannot fight the war on its own, Europe does not have the wherewithal to aid Ukraine, and the United States does not want to continue supplying Ukraine so why should Russia concede any territory?
A truth mentioned multiple times is still a truth
Just because you were a “young NCO”…in a “command staff” (a rather ambiguous, at best, reference), you obviously failed to understand (or better yet, actually know), that the nuclear weapons in Ukraine, were Russian (i.e., Soviet). Returning them back to their owners was the prudent decision, since Russia could be better relied upon, than a “new” and as it turns out, unreliable “country”.
1. The nuclear weapons in Ukraine, after the fall of the Soviet Union, belonged to Russia. Returning them to Russia was the prudent decision, since Russia was a more reliable steward, and actually had control of those weapons.
2. The Budapest Memorandum was not a ratified treaty. Did not impose legal obligations for military assistance. It was a political agreement that provided “security assurances”. See Para 4 & 6 of the actual Memorandum.
3. Ukraine deployed about 13-21 troops (medical & instructors),to Afghan (over 14 years). And, 1600 (permanent presence), 2003-2008.
All of this info is available (with factual data), on the internet. It helps to know what you’re talking about…in a public forum. Helps with credibility.
I think “Rick” is the pen name of Alexander Vindman (which is Ukrainian for “Pillsbury Doughboy”).
1. The nuclear weapons in Ukraine, after the fall of the Soviet Union, belonged to Russia. Returning them to Russia was the prudent decision, since Russia was a more reliable steward, and actually had control of those weapons.
2. The Budapest Memorandum was not a ratified treaty. Did not impose legal obligations for military assistance. It was a political agreement that provided “security assurances”. See Para 4 & 6 of the actual Memorandum.
3. Ukraine deployed about 13-21 troops (medical & instructors),to Afghan (over 14 years). And, 1600 (permanent presence), 2003-2008.
All of this info is available (with factual data), on the internet. It helps to know what you’re talking about…in a public forum. Helps with credibility.
There has been so much contradictory information on this topic. VDH, though, is the most reliable.
Just because you were a “young NCO”…in a “command staff” (a rather ambiguous, at best, reference), you obviously failed to understand (or better yet, actually know), that the nuclear weapons in Ukraine, were Russian (i.e., Soviet). Returning them back to their owners was the prudent decision, since Russia could be better relied upon, than a “new” and as it turns out, unreliable “country”.
Hey Rick…can you do that same pony trick one more time?
“A previous Republican American president…” ? NY Post reported former President Bill Clinton expressed remorse over his role in negotiating a 1994 deal that resulted in Ukraine giving up its nuclear arsenal, suggesting that Russia never would have invaded its smaller neighbor if it still had nukes. “I feel a personal stake because I got them [Ukraine] to agree to give up their nuclear weapons. ” … hardly a Republican
Hey Rick –
How many times are you going to post the same comment about the US reneging on commitments and Ukraine defending us in OUR WARS? Another three times? George W. Bush left office in 2009 (over 16 years ago)! As VDH stated in his column…what have the Europeans done for the last 80 years in support of their own defense?
One post is sufficient…any more than that makes you look like a carnival barker.
Excellent point!!
In other words the rest of Europe is a total waste of our time! Been going backwards for 50 years! Seems better to buddy up with Russia to screw China instead! What have you done for us lately?
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
Thank you Victor. Your analysis as usual makes so much sense. There is truly a large ocean between US and Europe. My German family emailed last week: we are deathly afraid of Putin. They blame us for their helpless state and for now leaving them unprotected. I am at a loss what to say anymore. JD Vance spoke the truth. But It remains stuck in their craw. Such dissonance of indoctrination has no solution.
I remember a video of yours from when Obama was in office. In it, you stressed how the U.S. had lost its power to deter and spoke about how difficult it would be to re-establish it. This was at the dawn of woke-ism. Re-establishing it now has the left’s heads spinning like Linda Blair in The Exorcist!
Our real enemies and almost every other country on earth understand real deterrence. They just prefer to gooble up senseless US foreign aid and then spit on us by celebrating terrorists and regrowing antisemitism
Thank you victor. Your analysis and compilation of facts are always clear. There is truly a large ocean of misconceptions between the US and Europe. My German family last week said to me : “we are panically afraid of Putin. Our family is paying the price for Hitler. We were castrated and your party now is leaving us unprotected.” I am at a loss what to say to them.
First, they were not Ukraine’s nukes any more than those on U.S. Navy boomers, stationed in Bangor< Washington belong to the state of Washington. The were Soviet nukes deployed to what was then the Soviet Republic of Ukraine. Second, those Soviet nukes were in a terrible state of disrepair and most, in not all, were unserviceable. Third, Russia retained the launch codes of those nukes, trying to launch them without the codes would not have ended well. Fourth, and most important, the United State has a Constitutionally mandated process for committing the lives and treasure of its citizens to foreign conflicts. It entails ratification of treaties and declarations of war from Congress. The Budapest Memorandum was never even submitted to the Senate for debate, let alone ratified as a treaty. As a result, it was no more than a policy document of the Clinton administration.
Yep.
Yes, Jonathan, well said!
It is amazing how a theology (progressivism) can be so wrong so often, so consistently and still enjoy such unwavering support of so many among the multitudes of hypocrites in this country and in Europe, who sincerely and narcissistically believe in their moral and intellectual superiority. Gd help us!
“History shows what can easily come next if we are not wise.”
Yes, I remember we thought we could successfully stay out of WWI and WWII. Showing up with boots on the battlefield for the last 37 weeks of WWI, and two and a half years fashionably late and Pearl Harbor for WWII.
European leaders can be criticized for many things including NATO commitments. However VP Vance claiming that they’re the ones who should be defending Ukraine – instead of we in the USA who disarmed Ukraine of their nukes with our promises to provide our military to serve as their replacement deterrent and defense – is Democrat level deflecting while wearing Populist Political Beer Goggles to view Ukraine.
Four successive American administrations have treacherously reneged on our military commitments that disarmed Ukraine while they were an ally fighting beside us. We purchased indulgences by sending money and some weapons that Ukrainians could fight alone with.
I saw Ukrainian troops beside us in Afghanistan and Iraq from my first deployment at the beginning to my last. They were voluntarily there beside us fighting in OUR WARS in Afghanistan and Iraq from the first day to the last – without any military agreement that committed them to do so.
VP Vance could not have done his tours in those wars and failed to notice Ukrainians among the multinational troops there. For him to tell watching world leaders well aware of this that “Ukraine has done nothing for us”, is far beyond embarrassing.
There would be no war in Ukraine to postulate and beat our chests over if the Ukrainian leaders of the day had decided that Americans were liars who were not to be trusted, and had kept the 3,000+ tactical and strategic nukes that made it the third largest nuclear power in the world at the time.
Those nukes would still be pointed at Russia – rather than surrendered to the new Russian Federation as President Bush convinced them to do. Where Putin now has those former nukes from Ukraine now pointed at us and our NATO allies like the UK and Poland.
How is it a win for Ukraine that we treacherously reneged on our promise that our military would serve as the replacement for those nukes, being their deterrent and defense? How is it a win that we reneged on that promise, allowed Putin to invade, the next presidential administration did nothing to roll back that invasion and stop the fighting, the next administration allowed another invasion… but now cashing in with a minerals deal is a win?
Ukraine voluntarily fought beside us for 20 years, from the first day to the last in OUR WARS in Afghanistan and Iraq, BTW. Despite the fact they weren’t attacked and have no Muslim presence in their nation to worry about – they voluntarily came to our military aid instead of saying “Meh… not our war”.
We purchased indulgences to justify our treachery. While national morality has little value, future second and third order consequences of decisions like this are real.
Trump alluded to a difference between US and European Aid during his meeting with Macron but there’s been no follow-up – at least not to my knowledge, on this.
That was that the European Aid, certainly that from France, came primarily in non-military aid and that most were loans that were provided on a senior secured basis. By contrast, the suggestion was that the US Aid, whether military or humanitarian, had no strings.
Macron tried to doge this and the media move the questions along instead of pursuing this.
Lending senior secured to a country is not really the same as pure aid.
Dr. Hanson:
Would there be ANY Ukrainian war or invasions if they were still the third largest nuclear weapons country in the world? Putin would have still invaded, chancing becoming part of a new Moscow nuclear glass parking lot?
A previous Republican American president convinced the Ukrainians to disarm by turning over their nukes to the new Russian Federation. And now those Ukrainian nukes that were pointed at Russia Putin now has pointed at us in America and our European allies.
Did we pay billions of dollars to Ukraine in order for them to surrender those nukes? Or did we promise in exchange for surrendering those nukes to provide our mighty military to serve as Ukraine’s replacement deterrent and defense?
Seems a fair question to ask as I was a young NCO attached to command staff in Europe after the USSR crumbled and watching deals being made by us.
That is a promise that world leaders of adversarial and friendly nations both have watched us treacherously renege on for the last four presidential administrations. A treacherous abandonment of Ukraine as they were voluntarily fighting beside us in OUR WARS in Afghanistan and Iraq, from the first day to the last.
There is no good way out of the war in Ukraine by now. But we have successfully avoided having our military blood spilled by purchasing indulgences while Ukraine fought alone.
We have become the world’s used car salesman of military treaties, and there will be second and third order consequences.
“…astonished at the support…?” One has to follow the US $s ‘spent’, where and to whom…answer, mostly western (US) corps, our military industrial complex, makers and consultants. Most of those $s were and are intended for here, to those who occupy the many bldgs along the Potomac and the 66 corridor to Dulles International in the DMV. They really don’t give a schiff about Ukraine, or Putin.
I’m just astonished at the support, braggadocio, media aggrandizing, flag waving on Social Media etc. to keep the war machine running…to what end? Praying the public presentations are not indicative of behind closed doors discussions, and an end is in sight. Ending it is a win for Ukrainian and Russian soldiers and civilians. A continuance is a win for everyone but them, quite a dark tack.
“Empty carnival barking,” indeed. The former Soviet bloc nations who gained their independence (Latvia, Poland, etc.) are very clear-eyed about the expanding threat posed by Putin’s hegemonic Great Russian Empire plans. They were not heard from at the giant thumbsucking cryfest recently, wherein VP Vance offered some very plain-spoken views on the part of the US regarding the EU’s failures to provide for their defense in any meaningful way. Their responses are pathetic mewling at best. History shows what can easily come next if we are not wise.
Thanks Victor! European leaders would be well advised to consider new careers in vaudeville. They are naturals for this type of venue!
Fable Six. The Europeans can handle making the peace without the US & Russia. The last time the Europeans tried that was 1919. A 4 year old war ended with a political settlement ( not a military victory or surrender) without the participation of the US or Russia. An uneasy peace that featured economic chaos that only lasted for 1 generation and resulted in both the bloodiest war in human history and end of Europe as a top tier power. And now they are going to “fix things”. Europe could not impose peace in a much smaller, lower intensity conflict in the former Yugoslavia 25 years ago. Outside of mass immigration what has changed?