"We should have, though, we should have provided lethal weapons. deputy assistant secretary of defence for European and NATO policy. "I think Putin felt that no matter how well armed Ukraine was, that he would be able to roll over Ukraine," said Jim Townsend, a former U.S. "We don't know if that would have deterred" Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine on Feb. Yet since the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations have all, to some degree, delayed or balked at sending lethal aid to Ukraine - raising questions about whether a better armed Ukraine could have provided a deterrent to a Russian invasion. security assistance committed over the past year to more than $1 billion. He said that when Russia invaded Ukraine, there was a question of whether the democracies of the world would stand strong to stop Putin.Earlier this week, the United States authorized up to $350 million US for immediate support to Ukraine's defence, which, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, would bring the total U.S. At a time when rivals are calling for mental competency tests for candidates his age - South Carolina's Nikki Haley and Trump have done so - and Republicans frequently accuse him of weakness, public perception of Biden's fortitude could be an important factor in the 2024 election. role in the war, Biden appeared eager to show through the war in Ukraine - standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin - his strength as a leader on the world stage. In fact, you know, you know it better than anyone here in Poland, because that’s what Solidarity means."Īside from public approval of the U.S. "The people in Poland know that, you know that. "Knowing who stands with you makes all the difference," Biden said. Biden on Tuesday noted the critical role of unity in a fight, referring to "Solidarity," the Polish union that helped bring about the end of the Russia-style communist regime in Poland in the late 1980s.