Trump, Putin summit demonstrates ‘jaw-jaw' better than ‘war,-war’

Trump, Putin summit demonstrates ‘jaw-jaw' better than ‘war,-war’

 

On December 30, 2021, former President Biden virtually guaranteed Russia would invade Ukraine 2 months later. He rejected Russia’s security concerns in his last conversation with President Putin, daring him to act upon his sensible demand NATO cease expansion into Ukraine and support of Ukraine’s war on Russian leaning Donbas Ukrainians. Biden knew Russia would attack believing he'd set a Vietnam war style trap to demolish Russia. 

Big mistake. That was the last time Biden spoke to Putin, ignoring the destruction of Ukraine, and worse, putting the world on the cusp of nuclear war for the last 3 years of his reckless foreign policy. Biden’s diplomacy that entire time was to lavish over $150 billion in weapons to Ukraine and unleash draconian economic sanctions on Russia that did nothing to prevent the impending collapse of Ukraine’s military and domestic society. That was not diplomacy. That was madness.

 

Worse than Ukraine’s destruction? Every one of those last 1,100 days of Biden’s reckless reign put the US and Russia on possible nuclear collision course. The war was really a US proxy war to weaken, isolate Russia using Ukraine proxies. Every Ukraine attack deep into Russia employing US missiles, intelligence and moral support threatened a possible Russian nuclear response.

 

Ukraine’s equally reckless President Zelensky even goaded NATO to attack Russia by claiming a Polish citizen killed by an errant Ukraine missile hitting Poland was actually Russian, requiring a NATO response.

 

Just one big mistake, one miscalculation, one rogue actor could have set off nuclear war. For Biden to demonize Putin instead of talking to him, even advocating his removal from office, may have been the most irresponsible conduct by a US president in the 80 year nuclear era.

 

That’s why we in the peace community, seeking to avoid nuclear war as well as an end to America’s proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, celebrate the Trump, Putin Kumbaya session in Alaska Friday. Praising each other for constructive discussion seeking peace, comprehensive mutual European security, reestablishment of diplomatic engagement and yes, reduction of nuclear tensions should have been a cornerstone of Biden’s failed foreign policy.

 

Former UK Prime Minister Harold MacMillan put it best. “Jaw-jaw is better than war-war"

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL