Biden's weak response to Putin could be his greatest mistake

Opinion: U.S. sanctions have no real bite on Moscow, the same way they had no effect on Tehran amid its chase for nuclear weapons; America must provide real aid to prove it hasn't sworn in vain to avoid another Holocaust
Orly Azoulay|
There comes a time in history when the "enlightened" West must put its foot down and say enough is enough! And not only say it, but actually take decisive actions.
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  • But up until now, the Americans have done nothing against Russian President Vladimir Putin in the wake of his invasion of Ukraine, which is the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II.
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    נאום ביידן
    נאום ביידן
    U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin
    (Photo: EPA, Reuters)
    U.S. President Joe Biden has made several impassioned speeches about the crisis, but even as he was wagging his finger while threatening the Kremlin, he still somehow appeared weak. In recent years, the fear of the American might has weakened, and in its weakness, it has also lost its values and conscience.
    Under Biden's watch, the world has been standing by while hospitals in Ukraine are being bombed, millions of refugees flock to bordering countries, and women and children are being shot dead and buried in mass graves in the snow.
    It's nice that the U.S. promised to no longer buy Russian vodka, and instead mix their drinks with whiskey or rum from the Caribbean.
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    בית חולים שנהרס בוולונובאחה
    בית חולים שנהרס בוולונובאחה
    Wreckage of a hospital in Ukraine
    (Photo: Reuters)
    Economic sanctions are an important means in the toolbox of a diplomatic war, but Putin, sitting beside his cartoonishly long table at the Kremlin, is unaffected by these measures. He hid his own fortune a long time ago, his loved ones are protected, and when the U.S. said it would no longer buy oil and gas from Russia, he knew he can simply ship his barrels to China.
    The previous U.S. administration imposed strict economic sanctions on Iran, and it didn't even bother them. On the contrary, the Iranian nuclear program only evolved and grew during the Donald Trump era, as the uranium enrichment didn't stop for a moment.
    The same will happen with the Russians, they will keep shelling Ukraine, even if the U.S. will impose stricter economic sanctions.
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    לביב לבוב אוקראינים עקורים על ה רכבת היוצאת לפולין משבר מלחמה רוסיה אוקראינה
    לביב לבוב אוקראינים עקורים על ה רכבת היוצאת לפולין משבר מלחמה רוסיה אוקראינה
    Ukrainians on a train heading to Poland
    (Photo: AP)
    There is, of course, wisdom in Biden's decision not to send American soldiers to fight the Russians since it could open the gates of World War III.
    But, we have reached a moment in which the situation in Ukraine is similar to the one in Poland in 1939, when it was occupied by the Nazis. Someone in the White House needs to understand that this is a wake-up call. Now, it is time to prove the world hasn't sworn in vain to prevent another Holocaust from occurring at all costs.
    The U.S. knew very well what to do in the past in similar situations. In 1980s, it armed the Islamic fighters to the teeth in the fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan. In 1990, when Iraq's ruler Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, the U.S. made him face a global military coalition.
    When the American government is strong, it knows how to strategize properly - and Biden has options that will save Ukraine from Putin's insanity and cruelty.
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    חיילים אמריקנים  מוצבים ב פולין ליד גבול אוקראינה
    חיילים אמריקנים  מוצבים ב פולין ליד גבול אוקראינה
    U.S military equipment on the Polish-Ukrainian border
    (Photo: Reuters)
    Biden can easily order the transfer well-needed ammunition and equipment to Ukraine, but he has to hurry before Russia seizes control of the Ukrainian airspace. He can establish security zones in countries neighboring Ukraine, where he can ship the needed equipment for Ukrainian soldiers to stock up on before returning to the battlefields.
    But none of this has been done so far, even though there are plans at the Pentagon that are just waiting to be greenlit by the White House.
    If nothing changes, Washington's weak response to this horrific war will be remembered as one of the most shameful moments in U.S. history.
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