The Verity Courier
The Russian Crisis
By Ron Estes
2 March 2022
World leaders are uniting to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has united much of the international community to a degree not seen in recent history. The UN Secretary General stated the invasion was "the saddest moment in my tenure.”
The African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Baltic Assembly, the Caribbean Community, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the International Criminal Court (ICC), NATO, the Organization of American States, the Nordic Council, OECD, and the Pacific Islands Forum have all released statements calling the Russian invasion an affront to mankind, a violation of International law, and of Ukraine’s sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and condemning Putin as a master international criminal. The Chief Prosecutor of the ICC issued a statement warning that "any person who commits such crimes, including by ordering, inciting, or contributing to the commission of these crimes, may be liable to prosecution before the Court."
There is, however, one well-known political figure who has defied the international community, and praised Putin for his invasion of Ukraine. On 27 February in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Donald Trump described Russian President Putin’s invasion as “genius” and “savvy,” and praised him as “smart,” while calling American leaders “dumb.”
At CPAC, Donald Trump said “Yesterday reporters asked me if I thought President Putin is smart. I said of course he’s smart. The problem isn’t whether Putin is smart — which of course he is, it’s that our leaders are dumb,” he added. NATO nations “are not so smart, they are looking the opposite of smart.”
Trump then blamed the Biden administration for Russia’s decision to invade its neighbor. “Joe Biden is weak," Trump said. "And when you have a weak president who is not respected by other nations, you have a chaotic world.” Trump declared the Russian attack was justified by Putin’s claims (false) that Ukraine was run by “drug-addicted, neo-Nazi” leaders. Trump said, “This is genius. Putin declared a large section of Ukraine as independent. Oh, that's wonderful. I said, 'How smart is that?' And he's going to go in and be a peacekeeper."
Trump then praised himself saying, “Under our leadership the world was a peaceful place because America was strong and the perception of our country was perhaps like it had never been before: powerful, cunning and smart. We were a smart country. Now we are a stupid country. When you have a weak president who is not respected by other nations, you have a very chaotic world. The world hasn’t been this chaotic since World War Two.” Trump failed to mention that during his presidency, his unprecedented support of the Netanyahu Israeli government, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, combined with moving the U.S. Embassy to that city, alienated 1.9 billion Muslims.
The consequences of that policy decision are reflected in the fact that Arab governments are divided into three camps over the Russian invasion of Ukraine: the anti-Ukraine invasion nations, Lebanon and Kuwait, the fence sitters, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, and the pro-Russia camp which includes Syria. Thanks to Trump, U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE have deteriorated, as they have with the fence sitter group of nations. There have been no large protests in Arab capitals denouncing the Russian invasion, the reason partly driven by the perception in the Arab world that the U.S. has double standards: indignation over the Russian occupation of Ukraine, and support of the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.
In addition, the Trump foreign policy record left anti-Americanism on the rise in Europe and U.S. influence, prestige and recognition as a leader at its lowest ebb in Europe since WWII. Trump repeatedly questioned NATO’s purpose and efficacy, calling it “obsolete.” NATO and EU leaders responded in kind. According to the publication Politico, the palpable fear among Europe’s foreign policy elite during Trump’s presidency, was four more years of Donald Trump as the U.S. President.
We are blessed that Putin did not invade Ukraine during an epoch of European, U.S., hostility, distrust and disunity. Let us hope the united international community will prevail, with a free Ukraine.
Ron Estes served 25 years as an Operations Officer in the CIA Clandestine Service.
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