Under President Joe Biden, the White House has lost its strength. While to many it is just a building for the President, to others this stands as a symbol of hope, and justice, and represents the commitment the President made to take care of the American people. So when they refuse to take action to help Americans overseas, it is seen as nothing but a slap in the face.
John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications is aware of the actions undertaken by numerous Americans to go to Ukraine and help the country defend itself from the Russian invasion. While these brave people undertook their mission without the authorization or permission of American officials, they should still be afforded the protection and reverence of the American government for their actions.
As two Americans (that we know of) have been captured by Russian forces, it should be expected that the White House would do the noble and proper thing to speak out about it and to try and get their freedom back. However, just as with WNBA star Brittney Griner and other Americans who have been detained by the Russians, they offer no action, just talk about how bad the situation is.
Speaking to the press, Kirby told reporters “It’s appalling that a public official in Russia would even suggest the death penalty for American citizens…in Ukraine.”
This isn’t the only thing “appalling” here. President Biden not finding a way to quickly secure the fair treatment and release of Americans is appalling. Leaving those who look to make a change in a foreign land behind is appalling. Abandoning those no longer capable of defending themselves is appalling. The whole presidency, much less the political career of Joe Biden, is appalling.
We, as a nation, need strong leaders. Leaders who see what is going on in the world, who not only want to act when something is wrong…, especially ones who will do the right thing for the American people, even when it is a hard situation. Given the poor organization and use of military tactics, the Russians have proven that they are not the threat the globe has considered them to be for years.
Instead, they are a weak nation. They are a nation that could be defeated by a National Guard outfit that hasn’t seen combat in 20 years. So, the idea of being worried about a conflict with them should not be concerning the President or anyone else. As we have seen so far in their conflict with Ukraine, they don’t have the leadership or capabilities to perform even the most basic of tasks up to the proper standards.
As such, our President should be pressing the ultimatums on them and getting our American people back on American soil and free. Not leaving them to rot in the Russian prisons or to be held as POWs by the Russian military. With our current support of Ukraine through finance and military technology, we have some great bargaining chips to secure their freedom and still ensure the Ukrainian people are not being left to their own devices.
Add in our relationships with nations still doing business with the Russians, and we have a unique opportunity to ensure these problems are being fixed immediately. Yet, President Biden, the White House, and our government is offering up little more than the “thoughts and prayers” that are dished out daily over social media. These words, while comforting, do nothing to remedy the situation. Much the same as the statement by Kirby offers little to nothing for the hope of these Americans. Let’s do better, America.
