Russia, Putin, Heritage, and Ukraine

I asked the candidates on the stage at the Gathering a particular question. Basically: “There are things we don’t know that we don’t know, but knowing there are things out there we don’t even know we know, where do you, as President, explore in the world? What rocks do you look under, and what shadows do you enter to figure out what we don’t know so that we begin to understand and prepare?”

One of the examples I highlighted is the series of coups in West African nations, some of which have been helped by the Wagner mercenaries from Russia. What they are doing is starting to become apparent.

West Africa is a hotbed of Islamic radicalism. ISIS is there. Boko Haram is there. Al Qaeda is there. Western forces have worked with national governments to keep the Islamic jihadists contained.

By destabilizing governments in West Africa, Russia is opening the door to the spread of Islamic radicalism. To be clear, the Russians do not want the Islamic radicals to spread. Islamic radicalism is as much a threat to Russia as it is to us. But the Russians understand that if they can sow chaos in West Africa, the Western powers just might get distracted from Ukraine and Russia’s expanded relationship with China. The West will deploy its resources to West Africa to contain Islamic radicals while Putin moves his resources elsewhere.

Likewise, as those African governments fall, Russia has easy inroads to rare earth minerals that it can share with China.

What Russia is doing in Africa is another data point: it will not be brought into the Western alliance or partner with us. Putin has made his bed, and it is in China. The Russians want to grow their sphere of influence and are promising African leaders some power and influence.

The Western obsession with gay and trans issues helps Russia and China tremendously. The Americans who bungled the withdrawal from Afghanistan were proud to hoist the rainbow flag there before fleeing. In several African nations, local leaders have criminalized homosexuality. That criminalization is popular in those nations. The very Western powers that won’t let the Africans spray DDT or grow GMO corn also will not accept restrictions on LGBTQ groups.

The Russians, Chinese, and Iranians do not care. The West is scared of the industrialization and electrification of African nations because of climate change. Russia, China, and Iran do not care.

Into this mix is Ukraine.

The Russians are committing war crimes and Joe Biden is dragging his feet. Despite Biden’s brave and bold talk standing for Ukraine, he has dragged his feet on giving them everything he said he would. He promised weapons systems, tanks, planes, and more. He has dithered on all of those things.

For those expressing frustration over support of Ukraine, please understand that Joe Biden’s execution of his promises has dragged out the war, driven up the cost, and made it harder for Ukraine to advance. The man who handed the Taliban Afghanistan through his bungling is on the verge of handing Ukraine to Russia through his bungling.

The Heritage Foundation has started asking questions, and very loud voices on the right and left denounce Dr. Kevin Roberts and Heritage for doing so. As I understand it, however, Heritage does not want to withdraw funding from Ukraine immediately. Heritage would like a timeline, a plan, and a vision for what we are doing.

I would like that too.

I’m a strong supporter of helping the Ukrainians. The problem is Joe Biden pretends to be, but is not actually helping them. He makes promises and doesn’t deliver on them.

I think those of us who support funding Ukraine need to understand that Biden has made matters worse, and Heritage speaks for many in wanting answers.

But I think those who do not support Ukraine also need to understand Ukraine is just one front in Russia’s larger plan. We give up on Ukraine, it frees up Russian advances on other fronts. We’re not going to have strong relations with Russia unless we resolve to protect Ukraine.

Sadly, Joe Biden’s resolve is made of silly putty, not steel.