(RightWing.org) – On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine after six months of military buildup on the border between the two nations. Russia said it was unhappy with NATO encroaching upon its sovereignty, and demanded that NATO revoke Ukraine’s potential membership. Moscow has considered Ukraine part of Russia since the fall of the USSR, despite acknowledging its sovereignty as a country.
Ahead of the invasion, President Joe Biden warned Russia that the US and its allies would implement crushing sanctions on Russia’s economy if it invaded Ukraine. At the same time, Biden said the US would not get militarily involved in the conflict. Despite trying to economically squeeze Putin, indirectly hurting the US economy, Biden is contradicting himself and his administration. On Thursday, March 24, the president said sanctions never work.
Biden Contradicts His Administration
For nearly a month, the White House and US officials said sanctions against Russia would deter Putin. Deputy national security adviser for international economics and deputy director at the National Economic Council, Daleep Singh, specifically said the purpose of sanctions was to deter and prevent an invasion and prevent large-scale human suffering.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the administration wanted a deterrent effect. Perhaps the most significant statement of them all came from Vice President Kamala Harris, who said administration officials designed the sanctions to stop Putin.
Did Biden Previously Say Sanctions Wouldn’t Work?
In February, President Biden said no one expected sanctions to prevent Putin from doing anything. Hours later, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden was being cavalier and dismissed her boss’ statement.
Now, the White House is trying to clean up another Biden faux pas, or was it a faux pas?
On Thursday in Belgium, the administration announced a new round of sanctions against Russia. Yet, when a reporter asked the president what made him think more sanctions would force Putin to alter course, the president took the reporter to task. He stated that those who reported on his statements from the beginning knew he said sanctions wouldn’t deter him. He repeated numerous times that they never do.
Instead, Biden claimed that consistent economic pressure over a long period of time would ultimately stop him. When questioned a second time, the president shot back that the only thing that would stop Putin was a unified front.
Technically, Biden is correct. He did say in February that sanctions wouldn’t work. Still, those who worked for him tried to correct the president’s statements.
So, it begs the question. Who is working for whom?
Does Biden have control of the White House and the executive branch, or does someone else?
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