(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Dark Brandon United The World to Protect Ukraine from Russia: Boosting Biden Day 114 [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-14 The war in Ukraine is tough and awful and heartbreaking with ups and downs. But one thing is for sure — any fighting chance Ukraine has to beat Russia comes from the dedication of Joe Biden to Protect democratic countries from autocratic aggression. the administration’s handling of the Ukraine war has been outstanding. Choosing to release intelligence showing Russia’s invasion plans in the weeks leading up to the attack was a masterstroke, denying Russian President Vladimir Putin any ability to claim that Ukraine provoked him. Biden has kept his G7 counterparts aligned in imposing sanctions on Russia, denying it oil revenue, and supplying weapons to Ukraine. The result is a war that is already vastly more costly than Putin bargained for, without US or NATO troops being dragged into the conflict, and backdoor progress on something US presidents had been fruitlessly pursuing for years: increased European military spending. On Ukraine, Biden Outshines Macron, Scholz — and DeSantis as the war in Ukraine enters its second year, I feel grateful for Joe Biden. Fault him all you want on many issues, particularly his gradualist approach to arming Ukraine, but on the most consequential question of our time he has the big thing right. “Appetites of the autocrat cannot be appeased,” he said last week in Warsaw. “They must be opposed.” That’s not a voice of fusty morality. It’s one of experience, foresight, military realism and political prudence. Experience, because the world has come to know Vladimir Putin very well over his 23 years in power. We know he does not honor the terms of any agreements to which Russia is bound, from the Cold War-era I.N.F. Treaty to the more recent Minsk agreements. We know that he has launched unprovoked invasions in the past and will, if not checked, launch them again in the future. Foresight, because a negotiated settlement would create more problems than it would solve. Iran would see that nuclear blackmail works. China would draw the lesson that, if there are limits to what America and our allies are prepared to do for Ukraine (which fights for itself and shares a land border with NATO), there will be much sharper limits to what we are prepared to do for Taiwan. Russia would conclude that, fumbled though its invasion was, it nonetheless gained territory, froze the conflict in place, and could still have another go at Ukraine in a few years. Military realism, because the lesson of the first year of war is that Moscow can be defeated. The Russian Army was beaten in the battle for Kyiv, the counteroffensive near Kharkiv, and the fight for Kherson. The Ukrainians did all this without the benefit of Western tanks, Predator drones or fighter jets. Imagine how swiftly they could win if they had all three in adequate quantities. Biden’s Ukraine policy may not win an election. But it matters anyway. Ukraine’s remarkable territorial gains and the Russian military’s disorderly retreat are most important as a rebuke to a dictator’s unprovoked aggression. But they are also heartening news for the world’s democracies, which stood together, at considerable risk to their own economies, to say no to Vladimir Putin. And it is a victory for President Biden’s approach to foreign policy. He promised that his presidency would undo the damage Donald Trump did to the United States’ standing in the world. Check. In June, the Pew Research Center found that after record lows in positive feelings toward the United States recorded in 2020, the median favorability rating of the United States across the 17 countries it surveyed stood at 61 percent this year. Biden also argued that ending the post-9/11 forever wars by withdrawing from Afghanistan would allow Washington to focus on its vital interests. In Ukraine, the United States did just that, providing not only direct military aid but also crucial intelligence that made the recent breakthroughs possible. Is there still more work to be done? 100%! Lots more work. But Biden did more than many people guessed could be done. He deserves a lot of credit. AND he deserves to be re-elected. What can you do to help? Your donation will come bundled with others from our Good News community and will show Biden that there are many of us who support him and combine hard work with optimism in our battles for a better America! Want to do something else? Rec and comment on these posts to keep them alive at DKos and share them with others who might not realize how great a president Joe Biden has been. Looking for something else? Here are some other ideas: This is an entry in my ongoing series Boosting Biden. Check the comments for more information on how to find other entries and subscribe. These posts are written by Goodnewsroundup (Goodie), edited by Matilda Briggs, and supported by 2thanks and WolverineForTJatAW as well as several other notable Kossacks! As with all good things, it takes a village. 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