By BEN SHAPIRO
19 Feb 2014
Photo courtesy thetakeaway.org
On Wednesday, the White House announced that it would be taking a muscular new role in Ukraine: by deferring to the Russians. Again.
As the streets burn in Ukraine, and with police cracking down on opposition protesters, Vice President Joe Biden, who has been handed the unpleasant Ukrainian situation to handle, called up Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich to express “grave concern” over the situation. He also told Yanukovich that the “United States condemns violence by any side, but that the government bears special responsibility to de-escalate the situation.” Jay Carney reiterated that message at the White House, stating, “We continue to condemn street violence and excessive use of force by either side. Force will not resolve the crisis.”
Then the White House went further on Wednesday: White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes explained, according to Reuters, that “the United States would like to see Russia support efforts to reduce tensions in Ukraine.”
Demonstrating precisely the sort of responsible attitude that has led the Obama administration to hand over America’s leading role with regard to Syria and Iran, the Russian government has responded by blaming the United States for the Ukrainian violence. Russian Foreign Ministry official Aleksandr Lukashevich has said that the US is attempting to craft a “Western vector of development” on Ukraine, and accused the Obama administration of “puppeteering” in the country.
America’s retreat from the global stage has meant more violence, not less; it has meant more power for America’s enemies, not less. Instead of an overall policy promoting American interests, the Obama administration has opted for the Little Jack Horner Doctrine: we stick our thumbs in the pie, and hope to pull out a plum. In the process, we spoil the pie.
America wants it both ways. On the one hand, we want Russia involved, because we are too weak to back anyone in the Ukrainian fight. Thanks to that non-participation, we have refused to offer incentives to current Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich to abandon his Russian connections; in fact, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton repeatedly expressed sympathy for the Ukrainian opposition, even though members of that opposition are both connected to Russia and to open anti-Semites. That drove the Ukrainian administration deeper into the arms of Vladimir Putin.