Tag: Putin

The Weak Biden Administration Invites War with Russia

President Biden speaking in Poland

The official American response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has been lackluster, chaotic, confusing, and ineffective. The Biden administration has been leading from behind and telegraphing weakness since the first signs of Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders. I have longed for any sign of boldness from my country and was ecstatic when President Biden called for regime change in Russia last Saturday. That balloon quickly burst when, in less than 24 hours, his handlers scrambled to walk back his remarks, thus reestablishing America’s role as virtually irrelevant in this world crisis. Let’s look at why this perception of U.S. weakness will eventually invite expanded war with Russia.

When it became obvious months ago that Putin was planning to invade his innocent neighboring country, America should have slapped excruciatingly painful sanctions on Russia rather than promise to do so “if” they invaded. We should not have officially assured Putin that no U.S. military would enter Ukraine. What a green light and relief that was for the monster dictator. The resources we have poured into Ukraine to better equip them for the fight have helped immensely in thwarting Putin’s intended scorched-earth rout of the country. However, those resources, more and sooner, would have likely ensured a Ukraine victory by now. The Biden administration’s reluctance to challenge Putin early on delayed the requested support until the invader had a far superior advantage. Putin is determined to reorder Europe to the borders of the former imperial Soviet Union. And America and NATO appear to be allowing him to take this major first step to that end.

This scenario has been played out before with disastrous results. In the 1930s, a despotic German dictator was aggressively plotting to return his nation to the glory and territory it lost in World War I. As a war-avoidance appeasement to Hitler, the western world, led by Great Britain’s prime minister Neville Chamberlain and accepted by our president, Franklin Roosevelt, agreed to let the dictator conquer parts of Czechoslovakia. That consolation from America and the other democratic nations fueled Hitler’s continued invasions into Poland and other eastern European countries. The weak initial responses to Hitler ultimately resulted in the U.S. and its European allies being forced into defending Europe in the protracted World War II. It also emboldened Japan to follow Hitler’s example in the Pacific. The tragedies of World War II could possibly have been avoided had America and the western European democracies stopped Hitler at his first incursion into Czechoslovakia.

At some point, Putin must be stopped. If he succeeds in Ukraine, it will only be a springboard for further encroachments into other European nations. It’s the dilemma of the 1930s. The free world can crush him now or face him in an all-out war involving many nations and possibly employing nuclear weapons.

So, yes, Mr. President, this man cannot remain in power! Have the guts to stand by your statement. Tell your handlers to back off. Lead the other NATO nations and the European Union to do whatever it takes to drive Putin’s army out of Ukraine. Sadly, flaunting our power for righteous good as the greatest nation in the world is little more than a dream anymore. America is only as strong as its leadership. And, presently, our leadership is weak and cowardly.

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God and the Invasion: Where is Yahweh in All This?

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden

Absolutely nothing happens randomly, catching God by surprise. Everything is filtered through His sovereign will including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But, there is constant spiritual warfare going on in which Satan strives to inflict the world with evil forces. Putin is an agent of evil daring America and its allies to stop his bloody aggression. Will we? Let’s look at what is at stake spiritually and materially.

My latest book, Daniel: Prophet at the King’s Command, begins with the invasion of Jerusalem by Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar. The prophet, Daniel, then just a teenager, poses the question, “Where is Yahweh in all this.” Yahweh is the Hebrew word for God. There had been many invasions of innocent nations by evil nations before Daniel’s 605 BC generation. And there have been many such invasions since throughout the entire globe. It would seem that civilization should have learned to live peacefully after thousands of years. But as long as there is evil in the world, there will be wars among nations. There will always be narcissistic leaders of passive nations that are willing to risk innumerable lives of their own citizens to gain control of the government and citizens of another country. Evil will always be with us on personal and aggregate levels until Christ comes again. Satan will manipulate his subjects, but, according to the scriptures, God will never lose control.

Putin is an evil dictator. He may also be a psychopath. Although he claims membership in the Russian Orthodox Church, he is a Communist leader, and Communism is both atheistic and antireligious. In contrast, Ukraine adheres to Christianity with over 70% of its population declaring themselves believers. Although Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is Jewish, he has great respect for Christians and churches, and he actively supports religious freedom in the country. Ukraine is the main missionary sending country for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. So, the deadly crisis in Ukraine is more than a ruthless tyrant dictator seeking to reestablish the former Soviet Union nation by nation. Granted, that is apparently his long-term strategy. But the war is more about an evil government’s attempt to consume a Christian nation. It is a classic example of spiritual warfare on a massive scale. The Bible teaches that certain of Satan’s demons are assigned to rule over certain nations. The nations of Russia, China, and Iran must have very powerful demons.

Godly people worldwide, including America and the NATO nations, oppose Putin’s diabolical action. Even many of Russia’s own people are rising up and protesting the attack on Ukraine. Brave Ukraine civilians are taking up arms and resisting the Goliath Russian army. Many Russian soldiers are surrendering to the weaker Ukraine soldiers. It is difficult to predict what will be the end result of Putin’s brazen disregard for world order. I believe it will eventually backfire on him and the Russian government even though it may look like a win initially. God may use this atrocity to ultimately unleash His wrath on the government that has been Satan’s operative for almost a century. Pray that America remains on the right side spiritually and otherwise. Whatever happens, we should watch it closely with an eye toward where Yahweh is in all this.

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A Weak America Invited a Resurgence of Communist Expansionism

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Largely due to the tough stands of presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, the Cold War with the Soviet Union ended in 1989 after 44 years. Communism was generally contained until Russia invaded the former Soviet nation of Georgia and later Crimea under the Obama administration. After no aggressive incursions while Trump was president, Putin is now at the threshold of the Ukrainian border with over 125,000 troops ready to invade after sensing weakness from the Biden administration. Let’s look at what is about to happen and why.

During my 24 years in the Air Force, my assignments were divided between flying and developing strategies to restrain the Soviet Union. Both responsibilities were in support of the Cold War between the world’s two superpowers. The Soviet Union’s objective was to ultimately rule the world under Communism. This involved expanding their subversion to as many countries as possible. They also were intent on controlling the realm of space and achieving superiority in nuclear weapons. The objective of the U.S. was to stop them, which we did 33 years ago through military and economic dominance. Russia, the residual nation of the defeated Soviet Union is hardly a superpower now. Its Gross National Product (GDP) in 2021 was $1.5 trillion compared to $21.8 trillion for the U.S. That positions Russia at 11th among the world’s leading economies. But Russia’s priority on military power ranks them third in the world in that category behind the U.S. and China. And its obvious objective, under the leadership of President Putin, is to resurrect the Soviet Union and spread Communism throughout the world. Their plan is to first reclaim the European Soviet Bloc countries beginning with Georgia, Crimea, and now Ukraine. Russia has craved its re-designation as a superpower nation for decades and has always looked to take any advantage of a weakened America.

If Russia succeeds in Ukraine, it will definitely move on to the next country. The Bible indicates it will one day invade Israel. When that happens, get ready to see the destruction and remaking of all creation with Jesus Christ as King of Heaven on earth. That is my theological comment for this post. You’re welcome.

For a year now, President Biden has given Putin every evidence of weakness on the international scene. Putin invaded Crimea after President Obama failed to show resolve in Syria. Likewise, he began preparations for invading Ukraine shortly after President Biden’s fiasco in Afghanistan and an abundance of other failures. He knew better than to try anything during President Trump’s term. If Trump were in the White House now, it is extremely unlikely we would see 125,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s border. All we are hearing from the Biden administration is that, if Russia invades, the U.S. will apply strong sanctions, and that we may even deploy U.S. forces into North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. The Russian buildup of military forces at Ukraine’s border has been going on for months. We should have already had a U.S. force deployed to NATO countries many weeks ago. We should also make clear to Russia that, if they invade, they will face U.S. forces with a vengeance on Ukraine soil. All NATO countries should send the same signal. Putin only respects and responds to a will to employ military might. Economic sanctions don’t worry him much. The Biden administration needs to grow a backbone if we are going to avoid another generation of Russia’s expansionism. The time to stop it is now. It will be more difficult with each country that goes down.

America’s most important allies are the nations of the European Union and Great Britain. Four NATO countries border the Ukraine on its west. Ukraine could be a stepping stone to invading NATO allies, in which case, as a member of NATO, we would be obligated to their defense. Furthermore, China is showing signs of invading our friend, Taiwan. Without a doubt, China’s president, Xi Jinping, and his cronies are watching the Biden administration very closely to decide whether they can get by with invading Taiwan without a military reaction from the U.S. If we punt on Ukraine, China will move next.

The whole world, friend and foe alike, expects America to be the protector of democracy. Failure in that role is failure in every international relationship. America must get this one right.

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Russia Still Our Greatest Threat

Russian Rocket

With so much of our recent attention focused on Iran, North Korea, and China, America has essentially taken its eyes off Russia, the greatest threat to our survival. I pointed this out in my op-ed published in the Washington Times last week. My article follows:

We Americans largely consider our homeland safe from the threat of foreign attack. For the majority of us, this secure feeling is a relatively recent development. Everyone over 30 has lived some or most of his or her life as a victim of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. I grew up with frequent “duck and cover” drills in school where we dived under our desks in practice for a potential atomic bomb attack. Some families built bomb shelters in their back yards. Russia deployed the first intercontinental ballistic missile, the R-7, in 1959. The subsequent nuclear arms race inflicted constant stress on the people of the western world and those behind the iron curtain. My 24-year Air Force career focused on deterring the USSR from annihilating my country.

The US and our allies ultimately won that four-decade world war when we outspent and outlasted the Soviets with vast numbers of nuclear warheads and missiles. The hammer and sickle flag over the Soviet Union was retired permanently on Christmas Day, 1991. Since then, Russia has been relegated to nuisance nation status throughout most of the world. The average American today still worries about Iran, North Korea, and China, but doesn’t lose much sleep over Russia. Many believe that our Cold War adversary wouldn’t dare challenge us. And even if they did, we assume our military would be able to protect us. However, a new study from Princeton University revealed just how tragically misguided that assessment is.

Tensions between the two nations are increasing as both are squaring off yet again over nuclear proliferation. According to Princeton, Russia remains a dire threat to America. Over the past two years, the study concludes, a nuclear war between the US and Russia has become “dramatically” more plausible. If escalated to the point of no return, a nuclear conflict would absolutely devastate the United States. Within the first few hours alone, the study estimates 34 million people would perish.

Since Russia has become increasingly volatile as of late, we must rethink our strategy. On September 17, 2019, Russia joined with China to conduct large-scale military exercises. This is a move experts believe is meant to convey the nation’s growing military influence as well as an anti-western, anti-American sentiment.

Additionally, Russia’s increasing aggression and willingness to defend its strategic interests with force certainly make the country America’s foremost national security threat. The question is: what can we do about it?

First, we must not underestimate the threat. Russia maintains the largest nuclear stockpile in the world and is no longer the fragmented entity it was following the collapse of the Soviet Union. General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, explained that Russia has closely studied American military strategy and is in the process of developing the technology and tactics to counteract our inherent military advantages. According to Dunford, Russia is advancing in the capability to target and destroy our satellites in space—and it’s unlikely they’ll stop there. Russia is seeking every opportunity to capitalize on our military weaknesses. It stands to reason, then, that America should be looking to plug each hole before it can be exploited. One huge strategic deficiency is our reliance on Russia for an essential national security tool: rockets.

Currently, the US is wholly dependent on Russian rocket engines to transport cargo and conduct critical national security-related missions to and from space. Russia’s RD-180 rocket engine remains the US Air Force’s preeminent propulsion system—a reality that leaves our country extremely vulnerable. By continuing to use the RD-180 engine without any viable domestic alternatives, America is essentially acquiescing control of its space program to Vladimir Putin. Furthermore, American astronauts must hitch a ride on Russian space vehicles to go to and from the International Space Station. Given the growing tension between the two nations, this dependency cannot be allowed to continue.

Fortunately, the Trump administration is moving forward with a plan to solve this crisis. The National Security Space Launch program, or NSSL, is an initiative established specifically to eliminate our nation’s dependence on Russia’s rockets. Under the program, the Air Force is scheduled to contract two domestic launch providers to create reliable alternatives to the RD-180. If the program continues on schedule, the US will phase out the RD-180 rocket engine by 2022 and seamlessly integrate our domestic replacement.

That is, however, a big “if.” As is always the case in Washington, partisan politics threatens to take its toll on America’s national security interests. The Democratic controlled House of Representatives has threatened to derail the NSSL program by saddling it with unnecessary modifications and new requirements that will delay the program. the Pentagon has stood fast in opposition to changes to the NSSL, knowing that any delays from Congress could be catastrophic for national security.

The US must end its reliance on RD-180 rockets. Likewise, we must analyze other vulnerabilities within our armed forces and prevent Russia’s exploitation of them. Failure to view Russia as our greatest national security threat risks our preeminence on the world stage and, more critically, our very survival.

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