A Time for Reflection and Prudent Decisions

I’m not sure there are any of us whose hearts don’t go out to the Ukrainian people as their families, homes and countryside are destroyed from the invasion of their nation by Russian forces. This latest invasion began on February 24, 2022. However, this is not the first incursion into the sovereign nation of Ukraine, as Russian troops invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula in February/March of 2014, as well as the City of Sevastopol.

For months leading up to this latest invasion into a sovereign nation, President Vladimir Putin continued to lie to the world and hide behind the false pretense of “negotiations,” based upon more lies. During this time, the world, including the United States, watched as the Russian military amassed close to 200,000 troops and equipment along the Ukrainian border in preparation for a full-scale attack on this European democracy.

The casualties continue to mount as the David vs. Goliath battle rages on and the free world continues to observe, standing on the precipice of what could lead to another world conflict. Many continue to fear an unwelcomed escalation, which no one in their right mind desires. However, it appears that President Putin understands this, and will use that very scenario to strip away the independence of this democratic nation with no one to stand in his way.

For those who still have the vivid memories of the build-up to World War II, they find similarities to the rise of Nazi Germany and the terrible atrocities of those times. Putin has continued to refer to the democratically elected government of Ukraine as “Nazis.” 

The previous Ukrainian president, who was aligned with Putin and oversaw a corrupt regime, was removed by the free elections of 2014.

It is estimated that before this conflict ceases that close to seven million Ukrainians could be displaced into nations such as Poland, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and Slovakia. That could place a great strain on those nations’ economies.

There are many questions to be asked and answers sought. What didn’t we learn from the failed attempts at diplomacy in 2014? At that time, President Obama and Biden were in office and oversaw what many saw as capitulation by allowing Russia to acquire sections of Ukraine after Putin’s first incursion into the independent and sovereign nation.

Are we witnessing the end of the relevance of the United Nations? While debating the situation in Ukraine, during an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council where the Secretary General pleaded to let the peace process proceed, the Security Council was advised that Putin had announced a “special military operation” had begun, confirming the fears of many.

A vote on a Security Council Resolution demanding Moscow immediately stop its attack on Ukraine was vetoed by Moscow, essentially killing that vote, while China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstained. A “no” vote by any one of the five permanent members of the Council stops any action on any measure put before it. A truly sad day in the history of the United Nations. Those five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

On March 2, a vote of 141 members the General Assembly condemned the invasion of Russia, with 35 abstaining and five voting against it. Voting against it were Moscow, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria. Those words are not legally binding and will do nothing to stop the ongoing conflict.

Some would ask the question aloud whether it was time to rethink the mission and the purpose of the United Nations, as the conflict rages on and the death toll rises inside the borders of Ukraine.

The United States is war weary after two decades in the Middle East, countless casualties of both American lives and eight trillion dollars in treasure. We have no appetite to welcome home more fallen heroes, and that is understandable. The shores in Europe and Asia have many white crosses adorning them showing our commitment to freedom and democracy across the globe.

The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan which precipitated the collapse of the Afghanistan government may have sent Putin the wrong message as to where we as a nation stand and may have emboldened him. Although the withdrawal was a legitimate plan, its execution was at best disorganized, poorly executed and against the recommendations of our military leaders.

The world looks on with an uneasiness concerning the intentions of China in regard to Taiwan and their growing aggressiveness in the South China Sea. These actions have been a cause for rising concerns about China’s intentions. The recent reconciliation with Russia has allowed Putin to reposition troops from the eastern border with China to the Ukrainian border during this latest crisis. 

The Biden Administration is moving closer to salvaging the Iranian Nuclear Deal signed by the Obama/Biden Administration. In 2018, President Trump withdrew from that deal because the administration believed the Iranians were not honoring the agreement terms prohibiting the production of weapons grade uranium. The withdrawal led to the reimposition of sanctions on the Iranian regime, causing a crippling effect to their economy. The impact of this move should be evaluated very closely as to its effect on some of our closest allies.

Our nation and the world may be witnessing the approach of a darker time in humanity’s history. A time in which we must carefully be aware of the intentions of those who seek to take advantage of weakness and our commitment to the ideals of freedom and democracy. 

I think one of the paragraphs of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address of 1961 best serves as an ending to today’s commentary, especially given the events of the last two weeks.

“Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.” 

~ President John F. Kennedy on January 20, 1961.