ARTICLE: JOHN RATCLIFFE AND CLIFF SIMS -- "Fear Of Donald Trump Kept Putin From Invading Ukraine. Here’s How Trump Pulled It Off."

Fear Of Donald Trump Kept Putin From Invading Ukraine. Here’s How Trump Pulled It Off (thefederalist.com)

A recent Harvard-Harris poll found that 62 percent of Americans believe that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if Donald Trump were still in the Oval Office. As former senior intelligence officials under President Trump, we agree with that view.

Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 when George W. Bush was president. Russia took Crimea in 2014 when Barack Obama was president. Russia has now invaded Ukraine with Joe Biden as president. However, when Donald Trump was president, Russia did not seize territory from any of its neighbors.

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So how did Trump succeed in containing Putin while the Russian autocrat has run wild with others in the White House? Why was he so successful at spreading peace elsewhere? We believe the long answer begins with these ten ways that Donald Trump projected American strength and kept the bad guys in check:

1. Rebuilt the American Military
2. Crusaded for American Energy Dominance
3. Set the Tone by Launching Surgical Missile Strikes in Syria in Early 2017
4. Developed Strong Relationships with Middle Eastern Nations Based on Mutual Interests
5. Was Ruthless with the Taliban While Winding Down the Afghanistan War
6. Crushed the ISIS Caliphate
7. Demonstrated a Consistent Willingness to Take out the Bad Guys 
8. Stood Up to China 
9. Strategically Used Unpredictability as an Asset in Foreign Affairs 
10. Advanced Tough Russia Policies and Provided Lethal Aid to Ukraine while Maintaining an Open Dialogue

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Vladimir Putin’s appetite for expansion did not wane during the four years Trump was in office, and the world was not just miraculously a safer place. Bad actors like Putin simply knew that they had to restrain themselves or deal with the consequences. In nearly every way possible, President Biden has weakened the United States and our allies and empowered Putin. As a result, Russia is on the march, even as the Ukrainian people have inspired the world with their courage and resilience. And in the wings, America’s greatest threat – Xi Jinping’s China – waits, and watches.