BIDEN ON POSSIBLE RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE:
The loss of life by the Russians will be heavy. Says the Russians "will be able to prevail over time." pic.twitter.com/fgxMVojWCu
— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) January 19, 2022
UPDATE – White House clarification on Biden's remarks concerning Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/2ewZzFiI6n
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) January 19, 2022
I’m pretty sure he was not supposed to say this.
The people running the Washington Military Establishment say we can take Moscow in six weeks. (Note: they don’t actually say that specifically. That is mocking what they said about Iraq. But they are all saying that war with Russia will be a cakewalk.)
President Biden blundered during his White House news conference Wednesday by saying that Russia’s military “will be able to prevail over time” if it launches an invasion of Ukraine — moments after suggesting that a “minor incursion” by Moscow on Kiev’s territory may see a less severe response from Washington and its NATO allies.
Biden began by vowing that “Russia will be held accountable” if it launches an attack against Ukraine, but then hedged by saying: “It depends on what it does.”
“It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion, and then we end up having a fight about what to do and what not do, etc.,” the president went on. “But if they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the force they’ve massed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia.”
“I’ve already shipped over $600 million worth of sophisticated equipment, defensive equipment to the Ukrainians,” Biden said moments later. “The cost of going into Ukraine in terms of the physical loss of life for the Russians — and they’ll, they’ll be able to prevail over time, but it’s going to be heavy. It’s going to be real. It’s going to be consequential.”
Biden later reiterated that a potential invasion would not be a “cakewalk” for Russia before adding: “Military, they have overwhelming superiority in relation to Ukraine, but they’ll pay a steep price immediately, near-term, medium-term and long-term, if they do.”
Later in the news conference, Biden was asked by Alex Alper of Reuters to clarify his “minor incursion” comment.
“Are you saying that a minor incursion by Russia into Ukrainian territory would not lead to the sanctions that you have threatened or are you effectively giving Putin permission to make a small incursion into the country?” Alper asked.
After initially responding that “big nations can’t bluff,” the president doubled down on his initial statement, saying: “The question is, if it’s something significantly short of a significant invasion — or not even significant, just major military forces coming across. For example, it’s one thing to determine that if they continue to use cyber efforts, well, we could respond the same way, with cyber.”
“But it’s very important that we keep everyone in NATO on the same page,” Biden went on before acknowledging that “there are differences” among the allies about what their response to a Russian invasion should be.
Biden’s statements left many observers aghast, with national security expert Tom Rogan calling them “foolish and reflective of his Ukraine policy’s deeper shortcomings.”
If the current Biden keeps making these kinds of gaffes, they’re going to have to replace him with one of the other Bidens.