Ukraine-Russia war: Is America getting others to fight their battle?

As Ukraine witnesses its TV towers getting blown to smithereens and Russia continues to pound Ukraine, now with missiles and thermobaric weapons, all the world's asking is, where is Joe Biden, the leader of the free world.

"We have been left alone to defend our state. Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don't see anyone. Who is ready to give Ukraine a guarantee of NATO membership? Everyone is afraid,” Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address to the nation, a day after Russia launched a ‘special operation’ on his country’s soil.

Weeks of nudging Ukraine to take on the Russian aggression, promising to stand by its side with the risk of a war looming large, United States' tall promises fell more than short. On February 24, Ukraine was left standing alone, while the West, especially the US' continued with its relentless threats of bringing a 'cold day' for Russia. Its offer: A flight to evacuate the Ukrainian President just like they had done in Afghanistan.

"The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told America when the latter offered to help him 'flee' Kyiv.

Joe Biden had reassured one and all that sanctions would deter Putin from invading, and he and his NATO allies have been careful to state at all points that they will not militarily come to the aid of Ukraine, especially with Vladimir Putin habitually waving his nuclear finger. But has the West's bravado and goading of Ukraine on the path to NATO, (not-to-mention Biden's 'killer' jibe at Putin), led Ukraine into a hole that the US President, for all the big talk, does nothing about?

Practice vs preach

After warning of severe sanctions against Moscow, President Joe Biden on February 25 vowed to defend 'every inch' of NATO territory declaring that his commitment to Article 5 is ironclad. Releasing up to an additional $350 million worth of weapons from US stocks to Ukraine he said, "I have ordered the deployment of additional forces to augment our capabilities in Europe to support our NATO allies...Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has failed in his goal of dividing the West."

However, the reality on ground continued to stay distant from Biden's promises. Refusing to put its own boots on the ground, the US moral policed other nations, asking them to impose sanctions or announce crackdowns even as it ironically continued to buy billions of dollars worth of oil from Russia, and seek Russia's representation in Vienna talks.

On February 28, Monday, the head of the Russian delegation to the talks, Mikhail Ulyanov, tweeted a photo of the JCPOA participants. In the absolute midst of bombings and shelling in Ukraine, US and Russia shared a table for Iran talks, continuing their partnership in negotiations to revive the Iran nuclear deal 

America's response? Though the invasion of Ukraine has made Russia a 'pariah on the world stage', the US would continue to engage with Moscow on issues 'fundamental to our national security interest', such as the Iran nuclear deal, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said.

Countries pushed to take a 'hard stance'

While Biden continues to buy gas from Russia or engage in matters of 'national interest', Europe, is being asked to take an aggressive stand when Russia is the largest supplier of gas to them. Notably, the European Union relies on Russia for about 40% of its gas – more than twice as much as Norway, its next-largest import partner, but the EU is still considering taking Ukraine under its wing.

Not only has it given a green signal to Ukraine's application for EU membership despite Putin's forces knocking on its doorstep, but it has also been sending arms, ammunition, and aid on ground, though while reiterating that it does not seek 'conflict' with Russia. In fact, peace-loving Sweden has also broken its tradition to send military aid to Ukraine. 

To India, Secretary of state Antony Blinken pressed for the need for a 'collective response' against what he termed as a violation of the “rules-based international order”.

Kyiv after Kabul, left to the world's mercy

When it comes to its own interests, the US forces the world to take a stand. On the eve of its 'global war' on terror following the 9/11 attacks, US President George Bush had warned 'you are either with us or against us', later it threatened countries to take its side on its designation of Iran, Iraq and North Korea as the 'axis of evil' and most recently demanded of all its trading partners to get behind it or 'face consequences' in mounting pressure on China. 

However, their own coercive tone and the lack of action on the ground was brought to the world's notice even before Ukraine, when the US fled Afghanistan leading to the fall of Kabul in August 2021. 

Defending his troops' hasty withdrawal from its anti-terrorist base camp in Kabul, Biden addressed the world saying that while the decision to withdraw was hard, it was the 'right one for America'. Stating that the US could not anticipate the rapid fall of the government, he said there is 'never a good time' to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan. "I am President of the US and the buck stops with me," Biden said.

Inciting Ukraine only to leave it at the mercy of the Russian military might, is another reflection of how the US works solely on lines of its own interest. 

"What we have done is push Russia closer to China. Look at what the CCP is thinking, they are eyeing Taiwan closely. They are seeing what the world's reaction to this will be. And it is certainly not working very well," U.S. senator Bill Hagerty told Fox News.

"Putin has seen the weakness of the Biden administration as demonstrated nowhere worse than the fall of Afghanistan," he added.