Vladimir Putin's invasion, Joe Biden's disgrace, Boris Johnson's message, NATO commitments

There's no disputing that Russian President Vladimir Putin has invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine without justification or provocation. That's the babbling coming from Putin himself but that isn't worthy of serious discussion. Putin is a thug KGB officer with a lengthy history of lying whenever it's required. He hasn't hesitated even slightly in those instances. He's done what good KGB agents do reflexively.

Boris Johnson hasn't hesitated in speaking truth to NATO power. Thursday, PM Johnson said "We must also collectively cease the dependence on Russian oil and gas that has for too long given Mr. Putin his grip on western politics." Johnson continued, saying "Our mission is clear. Diplomatically, politically, economically and eventually, militarily, this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure."

Meanwhile, Joe Biden announced another set of watered-down sanctions while supposedly ordinary Ukrainians prepared to take on the better-armed Russian military. Biden's speech was read from a White House teleprompter while these Ukrainians spoke while their country was being invaded.

Rather than sanctions and appeasing weak-kneed 'allies', Biden should've sold Ukraine tons of military hardware. Things like the A-10 Warthog could've tipped the battlefield in Ukraine's direction in a heartbeat:

Robert O'Brien's and Alexander Gray's WSJ op-ed is a great starting point for the administration:

First, key European partners like Poland, Romania and the Baltic states have requested significant military hardware that remains unapproved or stuck in the U.S. bureaucracy. We have been calling for approval of the Abrams Main Battle Tank sale to Poland for more than a year and commend Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken for approving the deal last week. The administration should expedite all similar requests.

Commending Austin and Blinken for this approval isn't praise. It's a backhanded way of saying that this should've been done months sooner. Then there's this:

Third, the U.S. should reassess legacy basing in Germany. Berlin has shown itself unwilling to undertake a leadership role throughout the Ukraine crisis. This development shouldn’t come as a surprise given the German industrial elite’s dependence on Russian gas and the Chinese export market. With NATO having moved east, Germany is no longer a frontline state. U.S. forces there, other than those manning hospital facilities and airbases, should be repositioned to outposts in Poland and the Baltics and bases in the Indo-Pacific.

Fourth, the Biden administration energy policy requires urgent re-examination. Oil at $100 a barrel not only hurts U.S. consumers, it puts billions into Mr. Putin’s war machine and Iran’s nuclear program. Appeasing Russia and Germany by reversing the Trump administration’s policy on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline clearly failed. It is time to stop Nord Stream 2 once and for all. Further, the U.S. must restore its energy leadership. Finishing the Keystone XL pipeline would send Russia and the world a potent message that America is committed to energy independence.

Fifth, NATO must show its adversaries unwavering resolve. Allies that fail to increase defense spending to the required 2% of gross domestic product within three years shouldn’t play a leading role in NATO. During Donald Trump’s presidency, the alliance’s defense spending commitment grew by nearly $400 billion through 2029, but American taxpayers still carry a disproportionate burden for defending Europe. Under such circumstances it makes sense for only countries that pay 2% of their GDP for defense to enjoy full voting privileges in the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s main decision-making body.

Germany isn't acting in good faith of its NATO agreement. They should be told that they won't get the same level of protection that nations in-good-standing get. Further, it's essential that Biden re-examine his energy policies immediately. They've given Putin additional revenue to support his expansionist agenda.