During the ABC debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, the former president issued a warning that should terrify every American: “[President Joe Biden] had no idea how to stop [the war in Ukraine]. And now you have millions of people dead and it’s only getting worse and it could lead to World War 3. Don’t kid yourself, David. We’re playing with World War 3. And we have a president that we don’t even know if he’s— where is our president?”
The debate “moderator” whistled right past Trump’s warning and asked him in response if he wanted “Ukraine to win this war?” I’ve heard more thoughtful questions from a 4th grader.
What Trump made clear — and ABC blithely ignored — is that the Biden administration is risking a world war over Ukraine. The last time we got this close to the use of nuclear weapons, the issues at hand were West Berlin and Russian missiles 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Then, unlike now, the American people clearly understood what was at risk. The presidents who oversaw those crises explained their calculus to the public.
But the Biden administration has edged the country closer and closer to a world war with little public debate. The United States is currently mired chest-deep in what strategists coyly call a “proxy war” with Russia. We’re supplying weapons, military advice, money and intelligence — and Ukraine is providing the warm bodies.
As the price tag of this proxy war creeps towards $200 billion, few Americans even understand the ultimate goal. There has been precious little talk in Washington, D.C. about what a “win” might look like for Ukraine. Biden, who Trump rightly points out has been mostly missing in action, has ignored Vladimir Putin’s requests to negotiate a settlement. More worrisomely, the Biden administration seems to be seriously considering escalating the United States’ involvement. (RELATED: MORGAN MURPHY: Once Again, Biden Doesn’t Have A Strategy For Ukraine. Where’s The Money Going?)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is said to be working on “a plan” to present to Biden about how to end the war. Zelensky darkly warned last month, “There can be no compromises with Putin, dialogue today is in principle empty and meaningless because he does not want to end the war diplomatically.”
Before Congress gives another red cent to Ukraine, the American people should have an opportunity to read and evaluate Zelensky’s plan. A “no compromises” end to the war is insanely unrealistic short of a complete collapse of the Russian army — Putin has made clear he will never accept Ukraine as a member of NATO or give up Crimea.
Last week, Biden said he is open to allowing Ukraine to hit targets deeper within Russia with American-supplied missiles. It does not take a military genius to understand that Zelensky would love to see the United States and NATO directly enter the war. That is Ukraine’s best shot at the “win” its leader has outlined, as Russia is out-producing Ukraine in soldiers and war materiel.
Zelensky’s requests to escalate U.S. involvement in the conflict should be evaluated with extreme caution. Specifically, Ukraine wants targeting restrictions lifted from the Army’s Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). Biden sent the missiles to Ukraine as part of last spring’s aid package and is said to be considering lifting the restrictions as I write this.
It is a horrible idea.
Firstly, Russia has made clear that the lifting of restrictions would be tantamount to direct American involvement in the war. “Washington and other European states are becoming parties to the war in Ukraine,” Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament said.
Secondly, Ukraine has already attacked Moscow repeatedly with drones. Were it to bomb the Kremlin with a U.S.-manufactured and sanctioned ATACM, what would Putin’s response be? Imagine a Russian missile hitting Washington with the blessings of Moscow. (RELATED: Trump’s Right. The Establishment’s New Cold War Is Poised To Turn Nuclear)
Lastly, pray that Biden’s team is taking seriously Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons in the conflict. Britain’s MI6 Chief Richard Moore recently remarked that the “Russian intelligence service has gone a bit feral,” while the CIA acknowledged that Russia nearly went nuclear over the Ukraine war in the summer of 2022.
As Trump warned at the debate, “[Putin has] nuclear weapons. Nobody ever thinks about that. And eventually, maybe he’ll use them.”
Our best hope to avoid that scenario is a swift return to rational statecraft.
Morgan Murphy is military thought leader, former press secretary to the Secretary of Defense and national security advisor in the U.S. Senate.
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