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February 17, 2010
Exclusive: Voting ‘Present’ Not Effective on the World Stage
Presidential Policy: Does It Make the Grade?, James Jay Carafano, PhD
Snowzilla closed the city for almost the whole week. Many would think that is a good thing. Government can’t get into trouble if it is not there. But, no such luck.The fact is, it was one of the White House’s worst weeks yet. That’s because it voted “present” on two huge breaking foreign policies stories – a presidential election in the Ukraine and more wackiness from Iran’s Ahmadinejad.
On February 7th, Ukrainians elected former Prime Minister Victor Yanukovych as president. Yanukovych’s has promised to improve ties with Moscow. That is not likely to happen any time soon because Putin is more interested in running the Ukraine than being friends with it. The Ukraine should be looking West – not East – and the United States should be doing everything possible to befriend to the country. As Heritage scholar Ariel Cohen points out,
“Ukraine is important to the U.S. for several reasons: (1) a democratic Ukraine would be a model for Russia and other post-Soviet states; (2) a free Ukraine could help strengthen the trans-Atlantic partnership by working with other Central European nations to foster U.S.-European bilateral cooperation; (3) a stable Ukraine enhances stability and security in the Black Sea region and Central and Eastern Europe, thwarting Russian desires to carve out a "sphere of influence" in those areas; and (4) a commitment to free markets would allow Ukraine to tap its economic potential as a large market and a vital energy transit country as well as develop its own vast energy resources, thereby countering Russian efforts to monopolize European energy markets.”
Unfortunately, Obama downgraded the bipartisan policy of close engagement with pro-Western countries former Soviet-block countries like the Ukraine and opted to kowtow to Russia instead. It is time for the Administration to reverse course. Sadly, the White House had almost no reaction to the Ukraine election.
Likewise, Obama had little to say as Ahmadinejad crushed internal dissent and snubbed his nose at the international community declaring Iran a “nuclear power.” It is far past time for the Obama administration to admit its “don’t rock the boat” approach to the Iranian regime has failed. The Obama administration’s efforts to seek sanctions through the United Nations are a nice thought, but considering guaranteed opposition from China and Russia, any realistic strategy must also look outside the United Nations. Washington therefore must think outside the UN box and press its allies and other countries to impose stronger sanctions outside the U.N. framework. The Obama administration should also take a lesson from Ronald Reagan and step-up its public diplomacy efforts to support the Green Movement. The U.S. government should announce that regime change is official U.S. policy, step-up support for Radio Free Iran, and continue to work with Iranians abroad setting up pro-democracy Web sites.
Right now, the White House is doing none of this. The administration’s current course is heading to a dangerous place. The President cannot keep doing the bare minimum and hope the Iranian regime plays nice.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is a leading expert in defense affaires, intelligence, military operations and strategy, and homeland security at the Heritage Foundation.
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