Shackelford should be cheering, not lamenting US abandonment of global leadership in Europe

 

Shackelford should be cheering, not lamenting US abandonment of global leadership in Europe

 

In her Chicago Tribune op-ed ‘Who will pick up the global leadership America has abandoned?’ Elizabeth Shackelford is distraught America under Trump is pulling back from supporting the clearly lost war in Ukraine. She envisions Russia exploiting the demise of massive American defense spending in Europe to recreate the Soviet Union into Western Europe.

 

Shackelford appears oblivious NATO and endless US defense of Europe became obsolete when the Soviet Union disbanded 34 years ago. Instead of pulling back from defending Europe, America went on an expansion binge bringing NATO and its nukes right up to Russia’s borders. Sensible diplomats, historians and political scientists kept warning the US that this would eventually provoke violent Russia response, not suppress it.

 

Here we stand three years and a month today enmeshed in that violent Russian response largely destroying Ukraine as a viable state. Instead of praising Trump for seeking its settlement, Shackelford wants Europe to become the “Arsenal of Democracy” to keep that lost war going ad infinitum.

 

Shackelford is correct in wanting Europe to replace the upcoming US defense pullback with their own treasure. That process should have begun 34 years ago. But to claim that buildup must start with replacing America as Ukraine’s weapons supplier is preposterous, even delusional. 

 

Shackelford is in denial the longer the war continues, the more territory Ukraine will lose.

It’s time for Elizabeth Shackelford to bone up on US history. She should start with the sage advice of former president statesman John Quincy Adams who admonished current and future US leaders 204 years ago, America must not go abroad “in search of monsters to destroy.”