Ukrainian supporters have received three major criticisms against former President Joe Biden. First, he supplied arms to Ukraine, but it was always too little and too late. Second, he lacked a strategy other than supporting Ukraine for “as long as it takes.” Third, he didn't really want to lose Russia as much as he wanted to survive in Ukraine.
These criticisms were justified. But compared to what his successors do in the oval office, he now looks like a pure genius.
Biden has achieved three key goals. First, Ukraine survived Putin's invasion. Second, it acquired a significant portion of the territory Russia seized in the first weeks of the war. And thirdly, by helping Ukraine leave Russia, Biden degraded the Russian troops, thereby undermining Russia's ability to project power in the world.
These were not minor achievements, but they shamed Pikaune by Biden critics, especially President Trump. Trump often argues that if he had been in charge there would not be a war. The beauty of this counterfactual is that false premises can logically entail any possible outcome. So, yes, if Trump was president in 2022, the Russians might not invade, but for example, they might have dropped an atomic bomb on the White House.
Counterfacts are useful in analysis only if they are supported by certain theory. Perhaps Putin hadn't invaded because Trump was tough. But perhaps Putin invaded. Because Trump clearly praises his desire to divide him and the world into realms of great influence.
From this perspective, Trump's counterfactuals actually undermine his claim. His consistent accommodations' actions against Russia and its dictators seem to be a much more plausible and consequential starting point than his suspicions of toughness.
Certainly, going further, we can argue that Trump's Proputin line not only extends the current war, but Ukrainians have no choice but to fight, but that by encouraging Putin to test NATO's resolve by invading the Baltic States, it could make World War I more likely. Given Trump's Petit Nophilia, it's completely plausible that he supports Vlad.
Fortunately, that horrifying scenario is unlikely to be attributed to one of the unintended consequences of Biden's Ukrainian policy. Ukraine could actually be winning, and Russia is definitely losing.
Famous military historian Philips P. O'Brien Put it down well“Trump is adopting the Russian topic that Ukraine is on the ropes and can't win. Well, it has been a big part of Western reports over the past year. …But that story is finally being challenged. Russia's progress has dropped significantly, their casualties are enormous, and the Ukrainian army appears to have made some better choices on how to fight a melting war with less efficient Russian forces.”
The facts speak for itself. The Ukrainians have transformed what was once the second most powerful army in the world into the second most capable army in Ukraine. Russia's deaths and injuries exceed 800,000, with daily losses in the range of 1,000-1,500. This forced Putin to seek North Korea's help. Ukraine is neutralizing the Black Sea Fleet and decomposes Russia's energy infrastructure.
Russia's economy is free autumn. The political and economic elite are increasingly unhappy with Putin's tragic war, but the aging Putin can't generate new ideas. And yes, Ukraine also has many problems, but there are no other options, so it will fight. In contrast, the Russians know that there is no need to die for the Kremlin giants.
O'Brien concludes that Ukrainians are “in a better shape than Trump and Vance are saying. And the media was launched in 2024. Are they in great shape? No. They need weapons and support, but Ukrainians are held well for now, and that is Russians suffering from casualties at rates that are undermining their operations. Ukraine can win the war – as always, the question is whether we want it or not.”
Biden didn't want to beat Ukraine. Trump seems confident that he wants Ukraine to lose. Therefore, we cheer twice on Biden's Ukraine policy and welcome three big boos from Trump.
Alexander J. Motil He is a professor of political science at Rutgers University Newark. An expert in Ukraine, Russia, the Soviet Union and nationalism, revolution, empire and theory, he is the author of ten non-fiction books, and isThe end of the empire: The Empire collapse, collapse, resurrection” andWhy is the Empire repeated again?: The collapse of the empire and the revival of the empire are from a comparative perspective. ”
