Introduction
Following Ukraine’s recent successes on the battlefield in the war against Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that the war could escalate to nuclear conflict, vowing to “us[e] all our forces and means at our disposal.” In response, President Joe Biden declared that “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.”
Campus Conservative, Marisa Powers
According to Robert Gates, former President Obama’s Secretary of Defense, Biden has been “wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.” While this comment was made in reference to Biden’s opposition to “every one of Ronald Reagan’s military programs to contest the Soviet Union,” the first Gulf War, and even his withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, I would argue it could also be applied to his recent statement about the risk of Armageddon being at its highest level since the Cuban Missile Crisis.
In my view, Biden’s statement is nothing but fear-mongering and not based on intel, as pointed out by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre this past Friday when she said the U.S. “has not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor do we have indications that Russia is preparing to imminently use nuclear weapons.” Biden also said in the same speech, “We’ve got a guy I know fairly well,” again showing that his Armageddon comment was not based on intel but on Biden’s characterization of Putin. This demonstrates recklessness in a situation where the exact opposite is needed.
While I do acknowledge that Putin is dangerous, there are better ways to respond to him than insinuating Armageddon. The United States should be putting pressure on Russia and should have back in January when Putin was first threatening to invade Ukraine. Biden’s comments display his poor judgment in foreign affairs and create more issues than solutions.
Campus Liberal, Tasha Khosla
The war between Ukraine and Russia has escalated, and it is understandable that the threat of nuclear attack is not one that should be taken lightly. However, Biden’s comments, while meant to ignite caution, do not have enough concrete evidence to support them. Historically, Biden has been known to “push against the margins of U.S. policy.” In the past, he has called Putin a “war criminal” despite the fact that this is a term that the White House avoids using because it requires results from investigations that are still ongoing, making those remarks premature. U.S. Department of State official Ned Price had even said back in March, “What we are doing here at the State Department, we are collecting every single piece of information, we’re evaluating it, we’re documenting it and sharing it with our partners. There is a process that is involved in this.”
Biden’s use of heavily charged terms such as “Armageddon” and “Cuban Missile Crisis” once again seems premature, especially since these remarks are not based on intel and “The US still has seen no evidence that Putin is moving toward using Russia’s nuclear capability, nor is there any intelligence showing he’s decided to do so.” Evidently, Biden’s statements are only serving to incite fear without a concrete reason.
Yes, President Putin’s threats should be taken seriously, however, calling the situation an “Armageddon” does not reflect well on the nation. Rather than making baseless comments, the Biden Administration needs to take stronger action against Russia.
Conclusion
Both sides agree that Biden’s statements only serve to provoke fear without solid evidence and that the Biden Administration needs to put more pressure on Russia—now more than ever.
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