Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Could Redefine Biden’s Presidency.

Photo: Alex Brandon, AP

Americans seldom agree on anything these days. But Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked military assault on the sovereign, fledgling democracy of Ukraine may prove a rare point of alignment. Public opinion is strongly supportive of President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people while condemning of Putin. Even Russia’s most ardent drumbeaters, such as Tucker Carlson on Fox News, are beginning to back off from their earlier apologist positions. It’s not a good time to be seen as a Putin acolyte.

President Biden has the opportunity to continue his central leadership role through this crisis. He has rallied NATO allies and united them in a way unmatched since the Cold War, even after four years of mistrust and finger-pointing under former President Trump. Biden also has managed to lead the West’s economic response with an unprecedented level of sanctions against Russia, including the freezing of its foreign exchange reserves through the targeting of its central bank. If the sanctions succeed in crippling the Russian economy, as seems likely, it could ultimately force Putin to a negotiated peace.

Biden’s critics have sought to place the blame for the invasion on “weakness” by Biden, but they face a problem here, too. Their own de facto leader Donald Trump very recently praised Putin, calling his invasion “genius” and his decisions “very savvy.” This has given the press a handy litmus test that is already proving quite devastating. For example, in a recent interview Senator Josh Hawley, a staunch supporter of the former president, was asked directly about Trump’s pro-Russia comments, which he persistently refused to criticize. “I simply don’t understand, why can’t you condemn his praise of Vladimir Putin?” remarked interviewer George Stephanopoulos. We can expect similar questioning of GOP leaders over the coming weeks.

Moreover, while Republicans officials remain critical of Biden, none has been willing to say what they would have done differently to stop Putin. Indeed, when asked directly about what he would do if president, Donald Trump awkwardly demurred:

“Well, I think I know exactly what should be done. Number one, we shouldn’t be here. But on the assumption that we’re here, and that’s a big assumption but it’s happening, uh, we uh, there are things that he should do. I would rather not tell him under this forum. I don’t think it’s appropriate to say that. But there are things that he could do that are very strong, very powerful, and I think would end it pretty quickly.”

He then went on to warn, however, that both Russia and the U.S. are armed with nuclear missiles and that “We all have to be very careful.”

Trump was also asked, “If you were in a similar situation as president, would you take up arms like Zelensky?” The question seemed a softball pitch, but Trump again demurred, saying, “Well, you know you never know about bravery. Some people think they’re brave and they’re not brave, and other people don’t think of themselves as very brave, and they step up. You never know until you get tested.” The contrast in leadership is quickly making itself clear.

Republicans also have the problem that their own party has a history, beginning at least in 2016, of seeking to accommodate Russia while isolating Ukraine. Thanks to behind-the-scenes work by Russia-connected Trump advisor Paul Manafort, who led the presidential campaign for a time in 2016, the GOP’s national platform was amended to eliminate support for giving weapons to Ukraine to help it fight separatist forces backed by Russia. Further, any attacks on Biden’s response today run quickly into a reminder by the press that it was Trump who threatened, in an infamous phone call that led to his first impeachment, to withhold military support for Zelensky’s government unless he helped him smear a political opponent.

More broadly, President Biden has the chance to articulate in real terms the true stakes the world faces in the battle between authoritarianism and democracy. The citizens of Europe and North America are witnessing, in real time, what a real struggle for freedom looks like, drawing a sharp contrast to the truck convoys and mask and vaccine mandate protests by the right. As an indication of the relatively tepid support now for the latter, the threatened California to D.C. “People’s Convoy” which had promised thousands of participants but reportedly has since amended its permitted capacity to under 500.

Indeed, the struggle in Ukraine for freedom and democracy provides Americans a far broader and very raw and real context for their own less shattering grievances about Covid mandates, inflation, and the perceived threat of liberal wokeness in our schools. If President Biden can lift the nation to a higher calling and purpose, perhaps drawing upon how President Zelenzkyy has inspired the world, he, too, has a chance to become an unlikely champion for freedom and democracy around the world and at home.