My pro-Ukrainian/anti-dictatorships American friends want Poland’s Foreign Minister Sikorski to replace Secretary Blinken.
One reason: Sikorski talks the language of core American values.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski was on a roll while visiting the US over the past weekend. From his sensational destruction of the Russian UN Ambassador’s presentation – when Sikorski debunked calmly the Kremlin’s talking points to justify the invasion of Ukraine – to interviews given to American pundits – Sikorski laid down in plain American what “American” means and why we trust in America.
Unless America is making an unpleasant turn.
Sikorski’s main points:
NATO – not a contract with a security company – a sacred pledge!
“An alliance is not a contract with a neighborhood security company – you pay and for that we protect you. The Article 5 of the Washington Treaty which established NATO has only been invoked once so far: after 9/11 in defense of the United States.
And after the appeal from the United States, we sent our troops to Afghanistan. Poland sent a brigade to Ghazni province. Before that, we sent a brigade to Iraq where we were responsible for protecting 5 million Iraqis.
When this mission was accomplished, we did not send an invoice to Washington. Alliance helps the United States too – not just US allies.
The real strength of NATO is not departments, it is not the CEO, it is not the signature, not even the laws.
Marjorie T. Greene Is a Liability for Ukraine and America Too
It is the uncertainty in the minds of our adversaries about what will happen if they attack.
Or rather the likelihood that the United States will come to the assistance of its allies. And this is what President Biden called the “sacred pledge.”
Speaker Mike Johnson - the word of the United States
“To Mike Johnson I would say as a former Speaker to a current Speaker – Mr. Speaker, it is the fate of Ukraine, it is the tortured people of Ukraine who beg you. But it is also the credibility of your country that is at stake.
The President of the United States in wartime went to Kyiv on his historic visit, planted the standard of the United States in downtown Kyiv saying ‘you are an ally, we will do whatever it takes and for however long it takes to help you.’
The word of the United States has been spoken, it needs to be followed up with actions, with deliveries.”
If we chose to abandon Ukraine or do it by default…
“Putin isn’t working alone. Today, many bombs falling on Ukrainian schools, churches, and apartment blocks come in the form of Iranian drones and hypersonic missiles with microchips smuggled through other countries. Most recently, North Korea has sent long-range weapons to sow more terror among civilians.
This mix of terrorists and dictators are united by one thing — their hatred of America, the West, and of democracy. Hatred fueled by fear.
They’re hungry to show that the US is weak, ineffective, and hopelessly divided. That America can no longer act effectively or be a force for good in the world.
Ukraine is a test case for them. All are eagerly watching to see if Putin can crush freedom — and our resolve.
The invasion of Ukraine is by no means a regional squabble. It is a war with global consequences.
If we choose to abandon Ukraine, or do it by default, Putin will come to understand — as will other adversaries around the world — that he can get away with whatever he wants.”
Lastly Sikorski added how much the US has received so far in return for its aid to Ukraine.
$90 billion. He explained to Fareed Zakaria:
“Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe has ordered $90 billion worth of American military equipment. Poland – on a longer time scale has ordered $50 billion worth of American military equipment. We are buying Apaches, we are buying HIMARS, we are buying Abrams tanks, we are buying F-35s.
We are buying this because your equipment is good but also because we want to be in good graces with our most important ally.
If America’s credibility were shaken, if countries not just in Europe but also in the Far East, started to think that perhaps the US President can’t deliver, even if he wants to help, much of that will be lost.”
All quotes are from interviews of Radek Sikorski by Fareed Zakaria at GPS and by Atlantic Council.
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Comments (4)
I think “John” below is an employee of Kyivpost.
The USA is in big trouble right now in that the two political parties are in disarray and failing the American people.
I think that Republican Nikki Haley will leave her party and run for President as an Independent candidate under the No Labels political group.
Will she succeed? As a conservative thinker, I certainly hope so. As a Canadian, we share a nearly 7000 km border with the USA. It is in our interest that our neighbour succeeds as a vital independent country.
@Imokru2,
For the record I do not work for Kyivpost, but I'm sensing by surviving their frequent troll purges that they at least appreciate my being here. Still none of us knows each other here. Best to just judge based on each others statements.
I'm content volunteering my time for Ukraine's good cause even if I have no ties there. I'm a bit of a zealot once I commit to something, so yep I post a lot. I also get a kick out of researching stuff having spent a lot of years in related roles. I truly believe what I write here (and elsewhere) serves Ukraine's interest. If it doesn't they can purge my comments.
My 3 goals here are to inspire more support, prevent clear misdirection, and maintain allied morale.....not that different really than what I did my latter career.
I'm unequivocally opposed to putinrump based on his history and constant attempts to sow discord. So many facts exist that reveal his poor ethics, distain for law, malicious leadership style and questionable to putin. Any poster promoting putinrump for president usually gets a rebuttal from me.
As a fellow "Canadian" this must be a sad day for you.
It is interesting how comments about the USA not supporting Ukriane are erased here!!
@Cecil, Mine seem to stick. You can email Kyivpost and request they review all your past posts associated with your combined email address / IP address. If non are linked to known troll / MRGA propaganda promoting putin's interests they will reinstate your account.
Sometimes even the true Ukraine supporters get caught up in the regular troll purges, but they've always been pretty good in reinstating any of my posts that were impacted.
Not something to be proud entering the illegal Iraqi invasion. Anyway, we do what USA tells you to, you have no foreign policy of your own.
@JMiguel, Many allies questioned the validity of WMD being in IRAQ and justifiably did not support the USA in that war. Not that Saddam did not deserve it after apocalyptic threats to the west, and his subsequent invasion of allied aligned Kuwait. Some allies accepted the now debunked WMD intelligence claim at that time and did support the USA.
In contrast there was clear evidence that Bin Laden's terrorist group was operating out of Afghanistan around the 9/11 attack on the USA, so the USA rightfully triggered NATO's Article 5 clause for the first time in that organizations history, and as required NATO members came to the USA's aid.
The neat thing about being in a democracy is the government must reflect the will of the people or it gets voted out. Occasionally an insurrectionist like putinrump arises, but so far thats been legally thwarted.
How does one displace a thug dictator like putin who imprisons, murders or in the interim disqualifies political opponents.
Russia's can only illegally access credible external sources of news. Your domestic news is tightly controlled and deviations from approved putin messaging are heavily penalized. Russians' only hope for removing their current psychopathic leader putin is to rise up in a massive violent riot. It will be bloody.
For those in stable democracies....we just wait to the next election and vote.
Thats the first time I've seen some of the war kick backs to they USA valued. Albeit if Poland itself is buying and additional !!!!!! $50 BILLION !!!!! in USA weaponry as a result of this war, the USA economic benefits from being part of the NATO and Ukraine supporting alliance has got to be way way way beyond the !!!!!! $90 billion. !!!!! Mr. Sikorskis estimates.
Beyond a moral obligation to help a fellow democracy under attack; beyond legal obligations within its allegiances; beyond its own security benefits in helping allies to take out the USA's most active enemy....the USA stands to make >2x what it spends helping Ukraine.
Putting all those good reasons aside, putinrumps' MRGA party at his request is presently stalling further Ukraine. He states intentions to hand over allies to putin. He lavishes praise on this tyrant. His political and media shills portray Putin's leadership as something to aspire to, even though it has slipped to 141st place on Transparency International's corruption index (USA sits at 24th while Denmark proudly ranks #1). The less corrupt a government, the more it serves its electorate.
What a coincidence that want putin wants is the same as what putinrump wants.