“I can’t argue with your conclusions.” So said Gen. Tod Wolters, head of U.S. European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), in agreement that Joe Biden’s threat of sanctions to “deter” Vladimir Putin from launching an invasion against Ukraine was a failure. Joe begs for a different opinion.
The head of U.S. European Command Gen. Tod Wolfers admitted that U.S. President Barack Obama’s efforts to prevent a Russian invasion were futile.
https://t.co/KmvZMt4Yw8
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 30, 2022
Wolters made the admission on Wednesday during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on the continuing war in Ukraine and its “overarching effect on the United States and NATO,” as reported by the Washington Examiner. In testimony, Gen. Wolters was joined in the discussion by Dr. Celeste Wallander who is assistant secretary for defense international security affairs.
Wolters admitted that he participated in the efforts to deter Russia while being questioned by Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin Republican Rep. Gallagher asked, as transcribed by WE: “Would it be fair to say that deterrence failed in Ukraine?”
Wolters began to give a typical non-answer to Gallagher’s question: “Number one, I would say that NATO’s solidarity remained” — prompting the lawmaker to cut him off and demand a direct answer.
Amazing stuff; made even more amazing by Wolters’s admission:
I can’t argue with your conclusions.
Biden’s Threat of sanctions dragged on for weeks, as Russia continued to amass troops and equipment on its border with Ukraine and Putin continued to make bellicose threats. Still, Biden did zero. RedState reports that White House Press secretary Jen Psaki did worse than zero. Incredulously declared Biden’s sanctions strategy had “worked” — despite Russia having invaded Ukraine.
Wolters said that the U.S. will likely send additional soldiers to Europe in response.
From a U.S. Force perspective, I believe we should look at Europe after the Ukraine-Russia situation is over. Then, examine the European contributions and, based on their breadth and depth, adjust our U.S. contribution. And my suspicion is we’re going to still need more.
“Completion of the Ukraine-Russia scenario”? That’s a rather antiseptic way to describe the day and night horror being indiscriminately visited on the men, women, and children of Ukraine, is it not?
I’m not George Patton, but additional U.S. forces to do what? Shore up the defense of NATO countries against a Russian attack that won’t happen? After the invasion ship is gone, how can you show your resolve? Who is it for? NATO, Vladimir Putin or the voters of November?
Meanwhile, as we reported on Tuesday, Putin’s invasion continues to bog down, leading Russia to draft 100,000 reservists with combat experience — to send to fight in Ukraine.
According to reports, Russia now has 70 to 75 percent of its military committed to war after having failed to reach its initial invasion goals. Biden, even though I am cynical about this, will attempt to turn it into something. He did — or didn’t do.
Speaking of Joe, after weeks of threatened sanctions — which, when they finally came, critics slammed, in effect, as too little, too late — the most inept president in modern history got a bit testy (I know, right?) and snapped, last Thursday: “No one expected the sanctions to keep anything from happening.” Oops.
In response, in one of her near-daily “clean-up on aisle 46” responses, Jen Psaki proclaimed “That’s not exactly what he meant” — a perfect analogy between Biden’s failed Ukraine policy and his disastrous presidency to date as a whole: Pay no attention to what I did;Focus only on the things I care about to do.
With reports suggesting Putin has been kept in the dark about the failures of his army in Ukraine — a claim about which I’m skeptical, at best — one thing is certain:
Joe Biden and his White House will continue to claim “mission accomplished” where there is yet to be one.
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