Source: Time
Quote Time: "When Russia invaded Ukraine nearly three years ago, President Joe Biden outlined three objectives for the U.S. response. Ukraine's victory was never one of them. The phrase the White House used to describe its mission at the time - to support Ukraine 'as long as it takes' - was intentionally vague. It also raised the question: How long will it take for what?"
Details: "We deliberately did not talk about territorial parameters," says Eric Green, who was working in Biden's National Security Council at the time and oversaw policy toward Russia.
In other words, the U.S. did not promise to assist Ukraine in reclaiming all the territories occupied by Russia, let alone the vast areas in eastern Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula seized during its initial invasion in 2014.
Green explains that the rationale was straightforward: in the White House's view, Ukraine was not capable of doing so, even with robust Western support.
"Ultimately, this was not meant to be a success story. The more important goal was for Ukraine to survive as a sovereign, democratic country, free in its pursuit of integration with the West."
This was one of the three objectives set by Biden.
He also wanted the U.S. and its allies to remain united and insisted on avoiding direct conflict between Russia and NATO.
Reflecting on his leadership during the war in Ukraine, which will undoubtedly shape his legacy as a statesman, Biden has achieved these three goals. However, success under these limited conditions does not bring satisfaction even to some of his closest allies and advisors.
Direct quote from Green: "Unfortunately, this is the kind of success where you don’t feel satisfied. Because there is so much suffering in Ukraine and so much uncertainty about where it will ultimately end up."
Details: The disappointment of Ukrainians with Biden has grown throughout the invasion, and they have expressed it increasingly openly after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election.
On air in early January, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that under Biden, the U.S. had not done enough to impose sanctions on Russia and provide Ukraine with weapons and security guarantees.
In an interview with Lex Fridman, Zelensky stated: "With all due respect to the United States and the administration, I do not want a situation to repeat itself as it was under Biden. I am asking for sanctions now, please, and for weapons now."
Details: The publication notes that the criticism has been extremely sharp and seems even more notable considering the level of support the U.S. has provided to Ukraine during Biden's presidency - $66 billion just in military aid following Russia's invasion in February 2022, according to data from the U.S. State Department.
In comparison, this amount is part of the total assistance approved by Congress for economic, humanitarian, and other needs of Ukraine, which stands at about $183 billion as of September last year, according to Ukraine Oversight, a U.S. government oversight body established in 2023 to monitor and report on all this assistance.
However, Zelensky and some of his allies insist that the U.S. has been too cautious in its confrontation with Russia, particularly regarding providing Ukraine with a clear path to NATO membership.
Direct quote from Zelensky during his last visit to the White House in September: "It is very important that we share the same vision for Ukraine's future in terms of security - in the EU and NATO."
Details: During this visit, Zelensky handed Biden a detailed list of requests, which he called Ukraine's "victory plan." In addition to calling for an invitation to join NATO, the plan urged the U.S. to strengthen Ukraine's position in the war through a new significant provision of weapons and permission to use it deep into Russian territory. By that time, Biden had announced that he would not run for a second term, and Ukrainians hoped that his "lame duck" status would allow him to make bolder decisions, particularly to secure his foreign policy legacy.
The requests were met with mixed reactions. On the issue of Ukraine's NATO membership, Biden did not budge. But he approved a series of steps that the White House had long dismissed as too risky.
In November, the U.S. allowed Ukraine to use American missiles to strike deep into Russia. In January, the Biden administration imposed tough sanctions on the Russian energy sector, including the "shadow fleet" of tankers that Russia uses to export its oil.
Although these decisions did not align with Zelensky's wishes, they helped Biden during his last foreign policy speech while in office to demonstrate that the U.S. had achieved its goals in protecting Ukraine.
However, he remained cautious not to promise that Ukraine would regain any of its territory or even survive until the end of this war.
President Vladimir Putin "has yet to conquer Ukraine," Biden said in his address at the State Department on January 13.
Direct quote from Biden: "Today, Ukraine still remains free, an independent country, with the potential - the potential for a bright future."
Quote Time: "The future that Zelensky and many of his compatriots dream of is one in which Russia is defeated. But in calling the world to fight, Biden embedded in his goals the subtext that protecting Ukraine from Russia is not the same as defeating Russia. It is not surprising that this goal remains distant for Zelensky."