As the inflation rate in the U.S. approaches that of the Carter years. And as Mark Brzezinski, son of the architect of the Mujahideen war in Afghanistan (and arguably all that followed there and around the world as a result), assumes the post of American ambassador to Poland, and everyone from Mark’s brother Ian to Senator Chris Murphy (an actor in the Ukrainian coup of eight years ago) and Max Boot suggests/demands a replication of the Afghan model in Ukraine. Carter’s remarks of 42 years before follow those of Biden’s below. The latter’s comments included: “You can go in and, over time, at great loss and economic loss, go in and occupy Ukraine. But how many years? One? Three? Five? Ten?” Biden and Carter both condemned limited Russian actions as potentially the worst threat to peace since World War II. Hyperbole meant to induce hysteria.

Joe Biden
Press Conference
January 2022

[Putin has] never seen sanctions like the ones I promised will be imposed if he moves, number one.

Number two, we’re in a situation where Vladimir Putin is about to – we’ve had very frank discussions, Vladimir Putin and I. And the idea that NATO is not going to be united, I don’t buy. I’ve spoken to every major NATO leader. We’ve had the NATO-Russian summit. We’ve had other – the OSCE has met, et cetera.

And so, I think what you’re going to see is that Russia will be held accountable if it invades. And it depends on what it does. It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do, et cetera.

But if they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the forces amassed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia if they further ingra- invade Ukraine, and that our allies and partners are ready to impose severe costs and significant harm on Russia and the Russian economy.

And, you know, we’re going to fortify our NATO Allies, I told him, on the eastern flank – if, in fact, he does invade. We’re going to – I’ve already shipped over $600 million worth of sophisticated equipment, defensive equipment to the Ukrainians.

The cost of going into Ukraine, in terms of physical loss of life, for the Russians, they’ll – they’ll be able to prevail over time, but it’s going to be heavy, it’s going to be real, and it’s going to be consequential.

In addition to that, Putin has – you know, has a stark choice: He – either de-escalation or diplomacy; confrontation or the consequences.

And, look, I think you’re going to see – for example, everybody talks about how Russia has control over the energy supply that Europe absorbs. Well, guess what? That – that money that they earn from that makes about 45 percent of the economy. I don’t see that as a one-way street. They go ahead and cut it off – it’s like my mother used to say: “You bite your nose off to spite your face.” It’s not like they have all these wonderful choices out there.

***

We’re finding ourselves in a position where I believe you will see that there’ll be severe economic consequences. For example, anything that involves dollar denominations, if they make – if they invade, they’re going to pay; they’re not going — their banks will not be able to deal in dollars.

***

My conversation with Putin – and we’ve been – how can we say it? We have no problem understanding one another. He has no problem understanding me, nor me him. And the direct conversations where I pointed out – I said, “You know, you’ve occupied, before, other countries. But the price has been extremely high. How long? You can go in and, over time, at great loss and economic loss, go in and occupy Ukraine. But how many years? One? Three? Five? Ten? What is that going to take? What toll does that take?” It’s real. It’s consequential.

***
I am hoping that Vladimir Putin understands that he is – short of a full-blown nuclear war, he’s not in a very good position to dominate the world. And so, I don’t think he thinks that, but it is a concern. And that’s why we have to be very careful about how we move forward and make it clear to him that there are prices to pay that could, in fact, cost his country an awful lot.

But I – of course, you have to be concerned when you have, you know, a nuclear power invade – this has – if he invades – it hasn’t happened since World War Two. This will be the most consequential thing that’s happened in the world, in terms of war and peace, since World War Two.

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Jimmy Carter
State of the Union Address
January 1980

Three basic developments have helped to shape our challenges: the steady growth and increased projection of Soviet military power beyond its own borders….

[The] Soviet Union has taken a radical and an aggressive new step. It’s using its great military power against a relatively defenseless nation. The implications of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan could pose the most serious threat to the peace since the Second World War.

The vast majority of nations on Earth have condemned this latest Soviet attempt to extend its colonial domination of others and have demanded the immediate withdrawal of Soviet troops….The Soviet Union must pay a concrete price for their aggression.