Biden Has Betrayed Ukraine — and Us

In a single week, President Joe Biden managed to betray two countries — Ukraine and the United States. And the week isn’t over.

Twenty-eight years ago, the United States entered into an agreement with the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom, which became known as the Budapest Memorandum of 1994.

The agreement provided that in recognition of the end to the Cold War, and in return for the new independent state of Ukraine relinquishing all its nuclear weapons, the countries would:

1. Respect the sovereignty and borders of Ukraine
2. Refrain from the threat or use of force against Ukraine
3. Refrain from the use of economic coercion against Ukraine
4. The parties would seek assistance from the U.N. Security Council if Ukraine were threatened with nuclear weapons
5. Refrain from using nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear country
6. Finally, they agreed to consult with one another if a question arose about the agreement

Ukraine met its part of the deal — It gave up "some 1,800 nuclear weapons, including short-range tactical weapons and air-launched cruise missiles," The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Of the half-dozen commitments the other countries made, Russia violated the first two the moment it invaded Ukraine Wednesday evening, using artillery, infantry, and air strikes.

But that wasn’t the first time Russia violated the Budapest Memorandum. That happened during the Obama-Biden years, another weak administration when Russia invaded Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014.

Arguably, the United States is in compliance. It didn’t technically violate any of the terms of the memorandum. However, Ukraine should have expected at least a minimum response in return for giving up its nuclear stockpile — the best deterence it had against a Russian invasion.

The Biden administration gave up the best tool it had to prevent such an attack when it reversed the sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline — put in place by the Trump administration, which also reduced western Europe’s reliance on Russian energy.

Shortly after Biden lifted the sanctions, Putin began rattling his sabers and eventually invaded.

Biden promised that Putin would bear the consequences of “devastating” sanctions in response to starting a war with a sovereign nation. National Security Advisor Daleep Singh was asked for some specifics on the sanctions at a Thursday press briefing.

"Targeting the Russian energy industry is totally on the table? is that what you are saying, Daleep?" Reuters White House reporter Steve Holland asked.

Singh replied, "What I'm saying that our measures were not designed to disrupt — in any way — the current flow of energy from Russia to the world."

So apparently, rather than being "devastating" or "profound," the sanctions will amount to more of an inconvenience to Russia, while its coffers continue to be enriched with Euros in return for Russian gas and oil.

But more than that, Biden’s lack of response is proof of a weak America and makes the world a scarier place.

As my friend Janeen greeted the day Thursday: “Good morning. Taiwan is next.”

It serves as an object lesson to rogue nuclear nations, like North Korea, that they should jealously hold on to their nuclear arsenal, because they can rely on no one else. It tells other rogue states like Iran to continue developing nukes to assure their own survival.

The president did accomplish one thing this week, however. At a time when the United States is witness to an unprecedented number of illegal border crossings, Biden ordered that a number of Customs and Border Protection agents to be deployed — to eastern Europe to assist those fleeing from the Russian invasion.

The primary function of any government is to protect its citizens.

A secondary function is to come to the aid of its allies when threatened by others.

Biden failed the American people, and he failed our Ukrainian ally. More than that, he telegraphed to every other American ally that the United States can’t be trusted, just as surely as he announced to every opponent that they need not fear the United States.

Just the News editor in chief John Solomon observed that “each American president is judged by his command in moments of crisis.”

Not only has Biden failed to appropriately meet each crisis, he created them — every single one.

Thirty-five months. We have to hang on for 35 more months.

Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to BizPac Review and Liberty Unyielding. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter who can often be found honing his skills at the range. Read Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.