OPINION:
When they met for their summit in Geneva earlier this week, Vladimir Putin surely thanked Joe Biden.
That’s because Putin couldn’t have asked for a better gift than the one Biden gave him when Biden lifted sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, clearing the way for the project’s completion.
Mr. Biden’s capitulation to the Kremlin on Nord Stream 2 is a geopolitical win for Putin, a major unforced foreign policy error for the U.S., and, above all, a stunning display of failed presidential leadership. Additionally, Biden’s decision hurts American workers and energy independence.
Most European countries oppose the project that gives Russia greater economic and political influence. Members of Biden’s own administration say it’s a bad idea and a threat to regional security. And yet Putin’s pipeline continues to get built. Why? Weakness from the White House on the world stage, plain and simple.
Mr. Biden’s apparent affinity for pipelines built and paid for by Moscow stands in stark contrast to his hostility towards pipelines made in the USA.
Look no further than Mr. Biden’s day one, job-killing decision to revoke the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, a move that resulted in the project shutting down for good last week. With the stroke of Joe Biden’s pen, thousands of workers immediately found themselves out work. But eliminating 11,000 jobs was a price Joe Biden didn’t think twice about paying if it meant appeasing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and the rest of his far-left flank.
Mr. Biden used to at least pretend to care about blue-collar workers and good-paying, union jobs. His administration’s message to those workers whose jobs Mr. Biden axed now? Find a new one.
Mr. Biden’s caving to the radical left on Keystone is all the more baffling given that his own administration concedes that pipelines are “the best way” to transport fuel.
Unfortunately, canceling Keystone was just the first shot of many Mr. Biden has fired in his crusade against American energy, American jobs, and affordable energy prices.
The real-world consequences of Mr. Biden’s radical climate agenda aren’t difficult to discern. Americans know they are paying drastically more at the pump than they were just a few short months ago under President Trump, thanks to his policies that put our country on a path to energy independence.
While Mr. Biden’s policies are inflicting economic pain on everyday Americans, our adversaries are gladly taking advantage of Biden’s missteps. Russia is filling the void Biden’s disastrous policies have created, exporting more oil to the U.S. than they ever did before.
Is this what Americans thought they were getting when Mr. Biden promised: “build back better?”
The Biden-friendly press following the president abroad this week spilled much ink during the last presidential campaign and indeed over the past four years pretending President Trump was soft on Russia.
Mr. Biden’s policies on Keystone and Nord Stream 2 show just the opposite: Mr. Biden is the one willing to give Mr. Putin everything he wants while getting nothing for America in return.
This is just par for the course from a career politician who spent fifty years in Washington perfecting the art of putting our adversaries first and putting America last.
• Daniel Turner is the Founder and Executive Director of Power the Future. Twitter: @DanielTurnerPTF.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.