Ukraine-Russia crisis: Why doesn't President Biden want to send US troops ?

Ukraine-Russia crisis: Russia has launched an offensive in Ukraine since Thursday (February 24). Russian troops entered Ukraine from the north, south and east, and there were reports of Russian missile strikes on major cities and army bases.

Global New News Desk -

Why doesn't President Biden want to send US troops? US President Joe Biden has made a concerted diplomatic effort to prevent Russia's aggression against Ukraine. In the end, their warning proved to be true. They also said that the international security system that is now in place is under threat

But Mr Biden also made it clear that the Americans had no intention of going to war, even after it became clear that the Russians were willing to fight. He also made it clear that no US troops would be sent to rescue US citizens from Ukraine if such a situation arose. He also repatriated a handful of U.S. military advisers and observers to Ukraine.

The events in Ukraine are the most serious foreign policy crisis under President Biden. But why is he drawing such a 'red line' that he will not send US troops to fight under any circumstances?

There is no national security interest

First, Ukraine is not a country close to the United States. It is not a country bordering the United States. The United States has no military bases in Ukraine. Ukraine does not have such huge oil reserves, where they may have strategic interests. And Ukraine is not such a big trading partner of the United States.

But before that the presidents of the United States have been involved in many wars where they have lost a lot of blood and resources on behalf of other countries. President Bill Clinton intervened in the war that began after the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1995. President Barack Obama did the same thing in the 2011 Libyan civil war, but he did it on humanitarian grounds and for human rights.

When Iraq occupied Kuwait in 1990, the United States went to war. George HW Bush led the international coalition in this war, calling for the rule of law against the "law of the jungle." President Biden's top security officials have used similar language when talking about how Russia is threatening the policy of peace and international stability. However, they are not talking about a military operation to counter the Russian threat, but instead are proposing to cripple Russia's economy by imposing tough economic sanctions.

Another reason is that President Biden does not believe in the principle of military intervention.

Needless to say, President Biden has come a long way. He supported US military intervention in the Balkans during the 1990s ethnic war. The war against Iraq, which brought about the unfortunate consequences for the United States, he also supported in the 2003 war. But since then he has become increasingly reluctant to use US military force.

When President Obama decided to intervene militarily in Libya, he opposed it. He also spoke out against the policy of sending large numbers of US troops to Afghanistan to win the war. He spoke in support of the US Alliance, but said that maintaining some independence was important for the United States.

Anthony Blinken, the top diplomat in the Biden administration, has been working with Joe Biden for the past twenty years. He is close to the president and is believed to be in control of the Biden administration's foreign policy. Mr Blinken now emphasizes the importance of US national security in tackling climate change, combating the world's epidemics, and competing with China. The issue of military intervention is less important in their foreign policy than that.

The Americans don't want to go to war anymore

According to a recent poll (conducted by AP-NORC), 72 percent of Americans think that the United States should not play a role in the Ukraine crisis with Russia, or even if it does, it should be very minor.

The American people are now more concerned about their own pockets. They are especially concerned about rising inflation. That's what President Biden has to keep in mind, because of the midterm elections ahead.

But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Washington are now busy dealing with the crisis. They are demanding tougher sanctions against Russia. But those who are known to be the most radical in foreign policy, such as Republican Senator Ted Cruz, do not want the United States to send troops to Ukraine to fight or to "engage in shelling with Putin."

Marco Rubio, another Republican senator who believes in aggressive foreign policy, has taken a similar stance. He says war between the world's two nuclear powers is good for anyone It won't happen.

The danger of war between the two superpowers

This is the biggest concern in the crisis - President Putin's possession of nuclear weapons. President Biden has already said that he does not want Russian and US forces to start a world war in Ukraine by engaging in direct war against each other. Protests against Russia's invasion of Ukraine are taking place in many cities around the world

"We are not dealing with any terrorist organization here," he said in an interview with NBC television earlier this month. "We are dealing with one of the largest armies in the world here. It is a very difficult situation, and the situation can take a dangerous turn at any time."

There is no contract obligation

Nor does the United States have an agreement with Ukraine that would allow them to take such a risk. Article 5 of the NATO Military Agreement states that an attack on any member state shall be deemed an attack on all countries, and that each country is committed to defending the affected country. But Ukraine is not a member of NATO. There is no such liability in their case.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken noted why he did not want to fight for the values ​​and policies he spoke of.

But there is a joke - at the heart of the conflict surrounding Ukraine - is President Putin's claim that Ukraine should not join the NATO military alliance. But Neto does not want to give that assurance again.

Stephen Walt, a professor at Harvard University and a proponent of pragmatic foreign policy, said that the United States and NATO did not want to make such assurances. Because they are not even standing up for Ukraine with military force.

Can the United States change its position?

The way President Putin has waged war against Ukraine is seen by many as the beginning of a new Cold War.

President Biden, however, is sending US troops to Europe and deploying them to various NATO allies. Especially with countries that have borders with Ukraine and Russia.

The Biden administration says the move is aimed at reassuring countries that are concerned about President Putin's larger plans, especially those that were part of the former Soviet Union. Because President Putin wants Neto to get out of these Eastern European countries.

Russia's campaign in Ukraine this week has certainly raised those concerns. There are fears that the war could escalate further in the event of an accidental or intentional breach. If that happens, the situation will escalate into a full-blown conflict, as the NATO alliance will have to defend its member states in accordance with Article Five. Then the US forces will have to get involved in the war.

"If President Putin launches an attack on a NATO country, we have to get involved," said President Biden.