STEUBE: Biden Weakest President on Russia in 30 Years
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today released the following statement after President Joe Biden’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Joe Biden has been the weakest president on Russia in 30 years. Today’s meeting was yet another example of Biden’s failure to stand up to Putin and signaled a dangerous return to the failed Obama-era policies that strengthened Russia at our expense.
While President Trump imposed the toughest sanctions package on Russia in history, and more than tripled military assistance to our partners on the frontlines fighting Russian aggression. In contrast, Biden has allowed Russia to cyberattack our infrastructure without any consequences, greenlighted the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, lifted UN sanctions prohibiting Russia from selling advanced weaponry to Iran, and rolled over in arms controls negotiations allowing Russia to continue developing short range nuclear weapons. Where are the House Democrats who talked about Russia collusion or called Trump weak on Russia?”
Though American press was initially denied access to much of the summit, Biden gave a press conference outlining the meeting with Putin.
Prior to the Geneva talks, Biden indicated a willingness to hold Putin accountable for recent cyberattacks and other tensions.
However, though talking tough, the Biden Administration’s foreign policy has taken a weaker approach to relations with Russia. After calling Putin a “killer,” Biden allowed Russia to achieve one of their top priorities, the construction of Nord Stream 2, a pipeline between Russia and Germany. In February, Biden also agreed to renew the New START Treaty, allowing Russia to have short range nuclear weapons.
Russia has responded in kind, launching several cyberattacks against the United States, including the hacking of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Though the Kremlin denies the cyberattack, there are also suspicions over whether the Russian government also knew about the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline earlier this year. In addition, Putin sent tens of thousands of troops to the border of Ukraine, a provocative act not attempted during the Trump Administration.
Biden’s approach is in stark contrast to the strategy of former President Donald Trump, who imposed one of the toughest sanctions packages against Russia in history for their use of chemical weapons and election interference. He also increased the military assistance to U.S. allies in Europe to fight Russia in the European Deterrence Initiative and encouraged North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to spend more on their own defense.
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