It’s not Biden’s war. It’s not Zelenskyy’s war. It’s Putin’s war.
On February 24th, 2022, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced the invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops and tanks rolled into sovereign Ukrainian territory. Russian bombers and missiles struck Ukrainian cities. Russian ships fired on Ukrainian positions. The largest land war in Europe since the Second World War began, and it began on the orders of Vladimir Putin.
While the U.S. initially believed Ukraine would rapidly fall and offered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy assistance in fleeing the country, Zelenskyy and top Ukrainian leadership remained in Kyiv, and the Ukrainian People not only stopped Russia from conquering the capital, but also took back a significant portion of Ukrainian territory the Russians captured early on in the war. As a result, many nations, including Canada, the United States, and European nations, have since provided Ukraine with military aid and financial aid that have helped ensure Ukraine’s survival as a sovereign nation.
Ukraine, the United States, and other allied nations reacted to Russia’s invasion. They were reactive because the invasion was launched by Russia, not Ukraine or the United States. It sounds absurd to even have to say this, but here we are. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not order the invasion of his own country. Then-U.S. President Joe Biden did not order Russian troops to invade Ukraine. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin gave the order for the invasion, and he continues to give orders that perpetuate the invasion, including converting Russia’s economy into a total-war posture, kidnapping Ukrainian children to indoctrinate them, the destruction of Ukrainian cities through shelling and bombing, deliberate missile strikes on civilians, the ruination of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, deliebrate targeting of Ukraine civilians through ‘drone hunts,’ horrific torture of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war, and more.
Vladimir Putin is responsible for those actions, not Joe Biden or Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Why do I feel the need to mention this?
Because the U.S. President has issued a statement where he once again deflects blame away from Putin, and tries to place that blame where it does not belong:
The U.S. President is wrong here. Unfortunately, he seems incapable of stating the obvious: Vladimir Putin is responsible for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Putin’s demands of both NATO and Ukraine for withdrawal from much of Eastern Europe and Ukraine’s disarmament were clearly designed to be rejected, as agreeing to those demands would have amounted to ceding Eastern Europe to Russia. Even in a world where a critical mass of NATO countries agreed to such a move, countries like Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania would not accept submission to Russia, and a conflict would have occurred anyway.
There is no scenario in which NATO could have abandoned Eastern Europe, nor is there a scenario in which a Ukrainian leader could accept leaving the country open to a full Russian takeover. Putin’s demands were designed to be rejected, so he could have a thin excuse to brutalize Ukraine. Sadly, the U.S. President continues to perpetuate a narrative about the war that serves Putin’s interests in blaming others for his actions.
Further, there is a strong sanctions bill sitting in the U.S. Senate at this very moment with broad bipartisan support, waiting only for Trump’s support to move ahead. By making ever-changing demands of NATO countries, and by constantly giving Putin ‘two weeks’ and then backing off any consequences for Russia, Trump has managed to continuously delay stronger sanctions on Russia, something that works in Russia’s favour.
The truth has not changed
Blaming Biden and Zelenskyy for Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine weakens the idea of truth and reality itself. Giving in to such false narratives erodes our ability to understand the world, and the less we understand the world, the less we can adjust to it and influence it for the better. The truth is the truth, and that does not change even when a powerful person denies it. Countries like Canada and our allies must continue to speak the truth about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continue supporting Ukraine’s fight for survival.
Spencer Fernando
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Trudeau is indirectly responsible for much of what is happening in the world. Germany, Italy, Greece and japan came begging for Canadian natural gas, and Trudeau, being the arrogant small minded narcissist he is, gave them the finger, claiming there was no business case. This from a person who admitted he has little understanding of budgets and economy.
Trudeau’s insult forced Europe to continue to buy Russian oil and gas, thereby financing Russian’s attacks on Ukraine by deliberately blocking Canadian resources. Hundreds of thousands have died on both sides, and Russia deliberately destroyed billions in Ukrainian housing and infrastructure.
On the other side of the Country, Trudeau blocked shipping, and changed the requirements and standards of pipelines that would have been used for natural gas sales to Asia and India, forcing them to continue using coal.
In modern times, no single person has been responsible for such massive economic cost and for so many lives as Justin Trudeau. He is rivaling Putin. We now hear that he on speaking tours, charging $100,000 or more, to tell people how great and wonderful he is, and how they should control the climate of the world. Serious consideration should be made to bring him in front of the World Court to answer for his horrid decisions.