March 29, 2024

Obama Refuses to Help Ukraine With Lethal Weapons

The disappointing and shameful announcement of the White House came after President Poroshenko spoke before a joint session of Congress and pleaded for more political support and military equipment beyond the non-lethal aid the United States has promised. The Ukrainian president stated blankets and night-vision goggles from the United States of America are important, “but one cannot win a war with blankets!”

Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko, current president of Ukraine, was born on September 26, 1965. He was elected president of Ukraine on May 25, 2014, winning 54.7% of the vote. Poroshenko previously served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2010 and as the Minister of Trade and Economic Development in 2012. From 2007 until 2012, Poroshenko headed the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine.

Poroshenko has had a very successful career as an entrepreneur. He owns, along with a number of other companies, a confectionery business, which has earned him the nickname of ‘Chocolate King’.

2014 presidential campaign in Ukraine

2014 presidential election percentage of vote for Poroshenko

The 2014 Ukrainian revolution brought about the overthrow of the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych to the dismay of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. New presidential elections were scheduled to take place on May 25, 2014. Poroshenko stated during the presidential campaign that, “If I am elected, I will be honest and sell the Roshen Concern and his television station.” Poroshenko’s election slogan was: “Live in a new way — Poroshenko!”

Presidency of Petro O. Poroshenko

President Poroshenko with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel talking during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day in France on June 6, 2014.

When Petro O. Poroshenko found out that he had won the election, he announced “My first presidential trip will be to Donbas,” where pro-Russian rebels armed with weapons from Russia had declared two separatist republics, Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic. The rebels are in control of a large part of the Eastern region of Ukraine. Poroshenko promised to continue the military operations by the Ukrainian armed forces to end the pro-Russian insurgency claiming that “The anti-terrorist operation cannot and should not last two or three months. It should and will last hours.”

President Poroshenko compared the armed pro-Russian rebels to Somali pirates. He called for negotiations with Russia including European intermediaries. Russia responded by saying it did not need an intermediary in its bilateral relations with Ukraine. President-elect Poroshenko promised to recover Crimea, which was invaded and annexed by Russia in 2014.

Petro O. Poroshenko’s Inauguration as president of Ukraine

Poroshenko was inaugurated in the Parliament in Kiev on June 7, 2014. In his inaugural address, he emphasized that this nation would never give up Crimea and spoke in the defense of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. President Poroshenko promised an amnesty “for those who do not have blood on their hands” to the separatist and pro-Russian rebels. He also called for early regional elections in Eastern Ukraine. President Poroshenko stated that he would sign the economic part of the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement which the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych had refused to sign. This led to the Ukrainian revolution. Russia wanted to force Ukraine to join with Russia into a customs union and reject any association of any type with the European Union.

President Poroshenko said that this was the first step towards full membership of Ukraine in the European Union. With the exception of the pro-Russian rebels, the overwhelming majority of the people of Ukraine want to be part of the European Union and reject any type of association with Russia. Ukrainians remember how the Soviet Union dictator Joseph Stalin assassinated millions of their ancestors during the 1930s. The majority of Ukrainians have a profound hatred for Russia.

During Petro O. Poroshenko’s inaugural speech he stated that he saw “Ukrainian as the only national language but guarantees of the unhindered development of Russian and all the other languages.”

Poroshenko delivers a speech to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg on June 26, 2014.

Peace plan for Eastern Ukraine

At the time of his inauguration, the pro-Russian rebels heavily armed by Russia had declared the separatist republics of Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic and exercised control over a large part of the region of Eastern Ukraine. After his inauguration, President Poroshenkolaunched a peace plan which included the recognition of the presidential elections in Ukraine by Russia, a cease-fire with the pro-Russian separatists, and the establishment of humanitarian corridor for civilians.

President Poroshenko promised revenge against the pro-Russian rebels after 19 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in a rocket attack. President Poroshenko stated the following: “Militants will pay hundreds of their lives for each life of our servicemen. Not a single terrorist will avoid responsibility. Each of them will be punished.” But this was the beginning of the terrible conflict that included the Russian invasion of Eastern Ukraine.

Foreign policy

President Barack Obama meets with President Poroshenko in June 2014

Russia and Ukraine

At the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held on June 26, 2014, President Poroshenko stated that bilateral relations with Russia cannot be normalized unless Russia restores the Crimea to Ukraine. On August 26, 2014, President Poroshenko met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk where Putin called on Ukraine not to escalate its offensive. President Poroshenko responded by demanding Russia to stop supplying weapons to the pro-Russian rebels and withdraw its army from Ukraine. He said his country wanted a political compromise and promised that the interests of Russian-speaking people in Eastern Ukraine would be considered.

European Union and Ukraine

On June 27, 2014, the European Union and Ukraine signed the economic part of the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement. President Poroshenko stated that that day was “Ukraine’s most historic day since independence in 1991,” describing it as a “symbol of faith and unbreakable will.” He saw the signing as the start of preparations for Ukraine to join the European Union. The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is completely opposed to Ukraine’s joining the European Union, as he sees that nation as part of Russia’s sphere of influence.

President Petro O. Poroshenko speaks to both houses of Congress and meets with President Barack Obama

President Poroshenko came to Washington on September 18, 2014 seeking special ally status and lethal aid to defend Ukraine from Russia. He received neither from President Barack Obama. However, President Poroshenko stated that he was grateful for whatever he had received from the United States.
Oren Dorell wrote an article entitled “The White House Rebuffs Appeal from Ukraine for Weapons” in USA Today on September 19, 2014. The reporter explained that the Obama administration refused to provide weapons to Ukraine in an aid package despite an impassioned plea by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko for more military assistance. The White House is providing $46 million in non-lethal security assistance and $7 million for relief organizations to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians.

The disappointing and shameful announcement of the White House came after President Poroshenko spoke before a joint session of Congress and pleaded for more political support and military equipment beyond the non-lethal aid the United States has promised. The Ukrainian president stated blankets and night-vision goggles from the United States of America are important, “but one cannot win a war with blankets!”

Dorell wrote that the Obama administration promised a military aid package that will provide body armor, helmets, vehicles, night and thermal vision devices, advanced radios, patrol boats, counter-mortar radars, rations, tents, and uniforms. U.S. military and civilian advisers will help Ukraine improve its defense capacity, the White House said. The new United States assistance package brings the total U.S. assistance package for Ukraine to $291 million, plus a $1 billion loan guarantee.

In spite of the recommendations of many Republicans and Democrats in Congress to send military equipment to Ukraine so that that nation can resist successfully the naked military invasion from Russia, the Obama administration has refused to provide lethal weapons for fear of escalating tensions. In his address to Congress, President Poroshenko said his country wants and needs continued U.S. diplomatic and economic support, including additional strong economic sanctions against Russia in order to help Ukraine regain the Crimean Peninsula from Russia. President Poroshenko was received warmly and with loud applause by the members of both parties in Congress.

President Poroshenko stated that Russia started the war when it invaded and annexed Crimea in violation of an agreement to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity in exchange for Ukraine’s agreement to return to Russia its enormous nuclear arsenal and other weapons. This agreement was also signed by the United States and the European Union.

President Barack Obama has ignored that agreement made by the United States to protect the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In retrospect, Ukraine made a serious mistake by trusting the United States of America and the European Union to protect the Ukrainian people from Russia. If that country had kept its nuclear arsenal, which was even greater than the one in Russia, the Russian dictator would not have dared to invade and annexed Crimea, invade Eastern Ukraine, and promote the rebellion among the pro-Russian people who live in that region.

President Poroshenko told a joint session of Congress that failing to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin could put all of Europe at the risk. He promised to stand firm against an aggressive Russia and thanked the United States for its assistance. He explained that he wants more weapons, warning that his under-equipped army of young boys is the only defense against Russian aggression.

President Poroshenko stated to Congress the following: “With just one move, the world has been thrown back in time — to a reality of territorial claims, zones of influence, criminal aggression and annexations. The postwar international system of checks and balances was effectively ruined.”

President Poroshenko said he wants peace and is willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve it. The Ukrainian President stated the following: “I am ready to offer those who live in separatist areas more rights than any part of Ukraine has ever had in the history of the nation. I am ready to discuss anything, except one thing, Ukraine’s dismemberment.” This was the first address to Congress by Poroshenko.

Many members of Congress have requested the Obama administration to provide lethal military aid to Ukraine, but the President has refused to do so. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted unanimously for the United States to use stronger sanctions against Russia and to provide Ukraine with $350 million in military aid, including anti-tank, anti-armor weapons, and ammunition.

Poroshenko accepted a cease fire on September 5, 2014, which was basically the plan suggested by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine, the United States, and NATO have repeatedly accused the Russian dictator Putin of sending Russian soldiers in Ukraine and giving powerful weapons to the pro-Russian rebels into eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian Army appeared to be about to defeat the pro-Russian rebels and capture the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk, when the Russian tanks and trucks penetrated again Ukrainian territory. This action stopped the Ukrainian offensive. More than 3,000 Ukrainian have died in this conflict thus far.

Since the pro-Russian rebels continue to hold part of the territory of Eastern Ukraine, President Poroshenko agreed to grant autonomy to the region in return for peace. However, sporadic fighting continues between the rebels and Ukrainian forces.

Oren Dorell reported that Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Democrat from Maryland, said after President Poroshenko’s speech that he supports Ukraine’s request for defensive weapons, such as anti-tank systems. Senator Bob Corker, Republican from Tennessee, stated that the United States should have given lethal aid to Ukraine “when the Russians had 40,000 troops on the border, before they ever came into Eastern Ukraine.”

Obama is seen by Putin as a weak president and does not fear him

The unilateral concessions that President Obama has granted to Russia has endangered our national security. Soon after his election in 2008, Obama gave in to pressure from Russia and did not deploy the antimissile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic that President George W. Bush had negotiated with those two nations. In essence, Obama abandoned all of Eastern Europe to Russia’s sphere of influence which went against our national security interests.

Obama did this without asking Russia for a quid-pro-quo or something in return. It is no surprise that Putin wanted Obama to win in 2008. Putin was delighted that our weak and indecisive president was reelected in 2012. Why? Putin believes that Obama will give in on missile defense and continue to use “flexibility” to eliminate our nuclear arsenal. Putin knows that Russia can continue to push and ignore any threats from our weak president. Putin also knows that Obama will not interfere with his war against Ukraine and will only complain and implement weak sanctions against Russia.

Obama’s request to Dmitry Medvedev, while they were meeting in South Korea, to ask Putin to give him “flexibility” and “space” until he would get reelected was extremely dangerous. The president did not realize that his secret conversation was heard due to an open microphone.

Obama desires to eliminate completely our nuclear arsenal and reduce drastically the Pentagon’s budget. His own former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has stated several times that those severe cuts contemplated under sequestration would endanger our national security. Before he resigned, Panetta said that “the United States would be left with a force that suffers low morale, poor readiness and is unable to keep with potential adversaries. It would invite aggression.” Obama simply ignored the excellent advice from Panetta since he wants to make the United States a weaker superpower.
In March 2013, sequestration was implemented and $55 billion was cut from the Pentagon’s budget annually for the next 10 years. This massive cut represents 10% of the entire Pentagon´s budget. The U.S. Navy would be reduced from 286 to 230 ships, leaving our Navy the size it had in 1915! The U.S. Army would be reduced from 569,000 to 426,000 soldiers. The 1,990 fighter aircraft of the U.S. Air Force would be reduced to 1,512. The U.S. Marines force would also be cut. Millions would lose their employment in defense-related industries and thus unemployment would increase. The Pentagon recently announced that the Army will be letting go many majors and other personnel as it withdraws from Afghanistan.

All of these severe and alarming reductions are great news to our enemies who now feel emboldened and have less fear of America. Obama has made the United States a world superpower in retreat!

Governor Mitt Romney had stated during the 2012 presidential campaign that he would have increased defense spending $150 billion a year in order to make our Armed Forces stronger and more capable of protecting us from our enemies. China and Russia are drastically increasing their defense spending and modernizing their armed forces. Iran continues to enrich uranium in order to build nuclear bombs. North Korea continues to build nuclear weapons and improve its missiles. Al-Qaida, the Islamic Caliphate, and other terrorist groups continue to get stronger. Obviously, this is not the time to gut the Pentagon’s budget and disarm unilaterally.

Only a president who is the architect of the destruction of the United States would follow such a disastrous disarmament policy while the world is in flames and our enemies are becoming more emboldened. Only a president who hates the country that elected him and would like to see the United States brought to its knees would implement such disastrous national defense and foreign policies. Only a president who is a traitor would do the things that Barack Obama is doing.

The immense weakness displayed by Obama’s foreign policy has encouraged both Russia and China to commit acts of aggression against their neighbors. Russia and China have a military and economic alliance called the Organization for Cooperation of Shanghai. This alliance includes other Asian nations and now wants to add India, Pakistan, and Iran. This powerful military and economic alliance emerged in response to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The efforts of Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to reset and improve relations with Russia ended in complete failure!

A more aggressive Putin invaded annexed Ukraine’s Crimea in June 2014 and until the recent cease-fire Russia was openly at war with Ukraine. The Pentagon has toughened its rhetoric toward Russia, but Putin is unconcerned. Putin considers Obama to be weak as well as the European leaders. The Russian dictator feels that he has a free hand to commit more aggressions against Ukraine and possibly other countries of the former Soviet Union.
As explained earlier, Ukraine gave up all nuclear weapons to Russia at the request of the United States. Ukraine then signed an agreement with the United States, the European Union, and Russia with the firm promise that Russia would respect its territorial integrity. Ukraine now feels betrayed and abandoned by the United States and the European Union.

President Obama has made the United States’s signature of international agreements a farce. A world superpower will cease to be a superpower if it ignores signed treaties or agreements made by other countries. Our allies highly distrust Obama and feel that they cannot count on U.S. support if they have to face their enemies in the future. Israel found that out quickly while it fought Hamas in Gaza during the summer of 2014. Obama is giving more than $400 million a year to Hamas, a terrorist organization listed as such by the U.S. State Department and world-wide.

One sign of the lack of respect which the Russian dictator has for President Barack Obama is the fact that he has sent his Russian strategic nuclear bombers 16 times to penetrate into the northwestern U.S. air defense identification zones during the month of August 2014. It is highly unusual for Russian bombers to conduct these aerial penetrations. The numerous flight encounters by Tu-95 Russian Bear H bombers prompted the scrambling of U.S. jet fighters on several occasions.

If that was not bad enough, during one bomber incursion near Alaska, a Russian intelligence-gathering jet was among the strategic bombers Tu-95. Major Beth Smith, spokeswoman for United States Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said the following: “Over the past week, NORAD has visually identified Russian aircraft operating in and around the U.S. air defense identification zones. The bomber flights took place mainly along the Alaskan air defense identification zone that covers the Aleutian Islands and the continental part of the state, and one incursion involved entry into Canada’s air defense zone.”

Defense officers stated that the frequent penetrations of U.S. airspace is very unusual and reminds the Pentagon of the days of the Cold War, when Soviet strategic bombers frequently wanted to trigger air defenses of U.S. territory as preparation for a nuclear war. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has conducted a major buildup and modernization of its strategic nuclear forces, new missiles of several ranges, new strategic missile submarines, and new long-range bombers.

The Washington Free Beacon had reported that two Russian bombers flew within 50 miles of the California coast on June 9, 2014 — which prompted a U.S. F-15 to meet the bombers. A Pentagon official stated the following: “Russian strategic nuclear forces appear to be trying to test our air defense reactions, or our command and control systems. These are not just training missions.”

The United States needs to respond strongly to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine

While no one is recommending a United States military intervention in Ukraine, there are many actions that our nation can take to respond to Russia’s naked aggression in Ukraine. This writer recommends the following:

• Freeze assets of additional high-ranking Russian officials as well as additional state-run financial institutions.

• Forbid Russian banks from transacting financial operations with U.S. banks.

• Send large numbers of U.S. and NATO troops to Poland and move them close to the border with Russia.
• Build permanent U.S. military bases in Poland.
• Send immediately lethal military weapons and supplies as well as increase economic aid to Ukraine.
• Impose severe economic sanctions in all sectors of the Russian economy.
• Suspend entry visas to the United States of members of the Russian oligarchy which supports Putin.
• Explain to Russia’s business people that they will not be allowed to do business with the United States and cease all Americans investment in that country.
• Install the missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland.
• Increase significantly the budget of the Pentagon.
• Approve immediately the Keystone oil pipe and open our oceans and federal lands for gas and oil drilling in order to make the United States energy independent as soon as possible.
• Isolate economically and diplomatically Russia indefinitely or until it withdraws and returns Crimea to Ukraine and ceases its open war with that nation.

Conclusion

It was shameful for President Obama to deny the request by President Poroshenko for the United States to provide that country lethal weapons and to ignore the unanimous vote of Senate Foreign Relations Committee to provide Ukraine with anti-tank anti-armor weapons and ammunition. Once again President Barack Obama showed his extreme weakness with Russia, as well as with China other enemy nations. This has placed the United States security in grave danger. As I stated in my recent book, America in Decline (2014), Barack Obama has made the United States a superpower in retreat. A superpower needs to be respected by its allies and feared by its enemies. Unfortunately, the United States is neither.

Unless President Obama changes his course quickly and start being stronger with our enemies with a more assertive foreign and national security policy, our country will continue to be a world superpower in serious retreat. We could expect more aggression from Russia, China, the Islamic Caliphate, and other enemy nations over the two and a half years left of the disastrous second term presidency of Barack Obama. When aggression is not challenged with firmness, it invites more aggression. Just look at how the appeasement policy of France and Great Britain invited more aggression from Nazi Germany and led to World War II.

We are living in very dangerous times, especially now that have a new Cold War and the more recent threat of the brutal Islamic Caliphate in our hands. We need to have a president who plays less golf and goes on fewer and frequent expensive vacations. Obama spends most of his time fund-raising for his own and unprecedented organization Action for America and the Democratic Party. The world is in flames while Obama looks the other way! The security of our nation is in grave danger. How sad that our beloved country does not have a Reagan-like president in the White House to defend and protect us!

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