Obama’s Leadership Greatly Questioned

At a time when the U.S. should show itself united in support of its president, the deployment of Russian troops to Ukraine has divided Washington, and the opposition’s criticisms of Barack Obama’s leadership could not be harsher. Some Republicans accuse him of encouraging the invasion with his weak foreign policy and the recent reduction in the defense budget. Others say that Obama is mistaken for not including the military option among his choices. Although nobody is suggesting sending troops, Dick Cheney, former vice president under George Bush, proposed sending assistance and military equipment to Ukrainian soldiers. He talked about resurrecting the project to set up a missile shield to protect Poland and the Czech Republic, which was shelved by Obama in order to compromise with Vladimir Putin. Cheney also proposed training the Polish military. What is at stake is not only the relationship between the U.S. and Russia, but also between Moscow and the entire West. With the occupation of Crimea, Putin confirmed that the hope that after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia would integrate itself peacefully into the West was part of a Western summer dream. In fact, this is the second time Russia has invaded a country of the former Soviet Union. In 2008, Putin sent troops to Georgia and managed to regain control over two of its provinces, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which went on to declare themselves independent after the so-called South Ossetia War. Faced with new Russian aggression, this time in Crimea, the dynamics of American domestic politics do not favor Obama’s already much-battered influence. Although in the midst of an election year there are Republicans who are trying to get Congress to approve a bipartisan resolution condemning Russia, others are taking advantage of Ukraine in their own campaigns against Obama’s foreign policy, which they call “weak, feckless, and irresponsible.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell accused the president of having “eroded American credibility in the world.” Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham stated: “We have a weak and indecisive president that invites aggression.” However, Graham toned down his statements yesterday by praising the economic sanctions imposed by Obama. With polls showing that Republicans not only will keep the majority they enjoy in the House of Representatives but are also in a position to regain the Senate majority in the November congressional elections, Ukraine is without a doubt a new headache for Obama and does not favor Democratic candidates. On Friday the Democratic Party distributed a document that denounces Republican “hypocrisy.” “Republicans should put the blame for this crisis where it belongs: on President Putin,” says the text. “In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia and leading Republicans didn’t blame the Bush administration for Russia’s invasion of a neighbor, so it’s complete hypocrisy for them to attack the Obama administration now.” Despite the electoral dispute, it is expected that when Ukraine’s premier Arseniy Yatseniuk lands in Washington, Republicans and Democrats will unite to welcome him.