Secretary of State Kerry landed in Kiev today and brought what some in the media are calling a major weapon to be used by the new government of the Ukraine; Kerry is pledging one billion dollars in American loan guarantees for the new leaders of the threatened country. Is he kidding? Is this just some sort of parody? Is Kerry trying to remind people of the moment in the Austin Powers movies where Dr. Evil demands one million dollars or else he will destroy the world?
Let's put this move into proper context. One billion dollars is not even a rounding error to the USA. And guess what? It is not much of a sum even in the Ukraine. More important, a loan guarantee is not help in stopping and invasion. It will not provide weapons for the military of Ukraine. It will not stop a Russian tank. It will not deter Putin. Surely, even Kerry does not expect the Russians to stop because America is helping Ukraine borrow money. The only way that would happen is if Putin and the Russian leaders laugh so long and so loudly at the American move that they pass out from lack of air.
Today, the latest news is that the Russians are moving their troops that were on field exercises in Russia back into their bases; as a result world markets are soaring as I write this. The problem, of course, is that the Russian forces in the Crimean Peninsula in the Ukraine are NOT being withdrawn. That region is effectively now controlled by the Russians and there is no sign that they plan to leave. Nothing that Putin says makes any difference on that score; we can look only at what the Russians do.
Yesterday, the Washington Post called Obama's foreign policy one "based on a fantasy". It was correct. The problem for America and the world, however, is that reality has a harsh way of breaking through the fog of words. Armies with guns really do not care all that much what Obama has to say, no matter how well he says the words. To them, it is all hot air.
Let's put this move into proper context. One billion dollars is not even a rounding error to the USA. And guess what? It is not much of a sum even in the Ukraine. More important, a loan guarantee is not help in stopping and invasion. It will not provide weapons for the military of Ukraine. It will not stop a Russian tank. It will not deter Putin. Surely, even Kerry does not expect the Russians to stop because America is helping Ukraine borrow money. The only way that would happen is if Putin and the Russian leaders laugh so long and so loudly at the American move that they pass out from lack of air.
Today, the latest news is that the Russians are moving their troops that were on field exercises in Russia back into their bases; as a result world markets are soaring as I write this. The problem, of course, is that the Russian forces in the Crimean Peninsula in the Ukraine are NOT being withdrawn. That region is effectively now controlled by the Russians and there is no sign that they plan to leave. Nothing that Putin says makes any difference on that score; we can look only at what the Russians do.
Yesterday, the Washington Post called Obama's foreign policy one "based on a fantasy". It was correct. The problem for America and the world, however, is that reality has a harsh way of breaking through the fog of words. Armies with guns really do not care all that much what Obama has to say, no matter how well he says the words. To them, it is all hot air.
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