OPINION:
As the eyes of the world were on Donald Trump in the Manhattan courtroom, Joe Biden gave a quiet presidential permission for Ukraine to use American weapons and launch a strike inside Russia, to protect the border city of Kharkiv.
In other words, Biden — unilaterally, absent congressional authority, absent public announcement — gave the go-ahead for what could very well turn into World War III.
Here’s how even the Biden-fawning news outlet Politico put it, in a headline: “Biden secretly gave Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia with US weapons.”
This is an astonishing shift of U.S. policy to become directly involved in the Ukraine-Russia war. Of course, the administration is spinning it as Not. The White House is calling it a “counter-fire purpose” and a means of granting Ukraine “flexibility” with self-defense. Whatever.
“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use U.S. weapons for counter-fire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” one unnamed U.S. official told Politico. But that’s not a policy change, the official said — not really, the official said. Why not? Because Biden only gave permission for Ukraine to use rockets and rocket launchers to shoot down Russian missiles headed toward Kharkiv, and not use long-range rockets and missiles against Russia. That’s called “flexibility,” according to the officials speaking to Politico — all on condition of anonymity, by the way, because Biden’s secret escalation of America’s involvement in the Ukraine-Russia war hasn’t yet been announced.
Why announce when the world’s distracted by the drummed up charges and convictions against Trump, right?
From Politico, on Biden’s secret policy change: “It’s a stunning shift the administration initially said would escalate the war by more directly involving the U.S. in the fight.”
And it came after the United Kingdom and France said Ukraine ought to be granted the right to use weapons from the West — from the United States — to attack Russian territories. Yes, America’s sent the message that Ukraine must only use this newfound “flexibility” to attack only Russia’s military sites, and not civilian areas. But that’s a clear CYA statement. The White House has to cover its you-know-what so that when Ukraine mistakenly kills little Russian children using American weapons, Team Biden can say, ‘we told them not to do that!’ — and then all the Biden-boot lickers in the media can chirp in dutifully, ‘Biden told them not to do that, and besides, Trump’s a convicted felon,’ after which all the Democrat-paid brown shirts can take to the streets and cry hysterically about Russia collusion and MAGA racism and the need for Biden to win so abortion is free and legal for all.
Why is it that billions of U.S. dollars are continuing to pour into Ukraine? What’s America’s end game here, anyway?
Shhh.
Trump’s a racist! He’s a convicted felon, you know. And that’s all you need to know. Now take this Molotov cocktail and go find a MAGA hat-wearer to attack.
“Biden allows Ukraine to hit some targets in Russia with US weapons,” BBC wrote.
Good thing civics aren’t taught the public school masses any more or somebody might ask about the Constitution’s clause giving Congress — and only Congress; not the executive branch — the right to declare war, and stipulating that the president only “derives the power to direct the military after a congressional declaration of war.”
But therein lies a massive problem America has allowed to fester for decades: presidents have regularly engaged in military conflicts without formally seeking congressional approval, and congressional members have regularly allowed presidents these unilateral decisions so they don’t have to take the uncomfortable steps and make the maybe-unpopular moves of taking open, transparent and accountable-to-the-people votes for or against war. So we have presidents who slyly start wars — without calling them wars.
Biden’s 180-degree shift in policy to give Ukraine weapons to attack sites in Russia was made in secret. The secret’s been outed. But watch and wait and watch and see how America will soon be drawn more into this war. First the funding; then the sending of U.S. troops to train Ukrainians; now the permission to strike inside Russia — what’s next?
Talk of direct U.S.-Russia military engagement has already reared.
“In the next front against Russia, it will be Americans on the front lines,” Sen. Chris Coons told CNBC at the Munich Security Conference in February, warning of what would happen once the United States stopped funding Ukraine. “We are best off investing in the Ukrainians who are fighting bravely for their own freedom than allowing [Russia President Vladimir] Putin the opportunity to spread further chaos and violence across Europe.”
If it’s so necessary for America to be involved in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, then Congress ought to declare war. Joe Biden ought to openly and transparently defend his policy shift to allow U.S. weapons to strike Russia sites. Politicians of both major parties ought to take public statements and cast publicly recorded votes about America’s mission in Ukraine, about America’s strategy with Ukraine, and most importantly, about America’s end game with Ukraine. Right now, it’s anybody’s guess about what a “win” would look like for America in this escalating Ukraine-Russia war. That’s a dangerous situation. In all military conflicts, an unclear mission combined with a completely ambiguous exit strategy equals endless war.
Russia has allies — and America has enemies. Moreover, America has a weak, puppet president with absolutely no skill on foreign policy.
It’s a recipe for disaster. It’s a path for World War III. And all the Democrats and their fawners in the media go: ‘Trump’s a convicted felon!’
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Lockdown: The Socialist Plan To Take Away Your Freedom,” is available by clicking HERE or clicking HERE or CLICKING HERE.
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