President Joe Biden is promising to send more arms to Ukraine if Russia invades. That may sound tough, but it’s actually kinda weak. Why not send those arms now, before a Russian invasion? The Biden admninistration has prepared a $200 million military aid package for Ukraine, but they’re holding off on sending that package in favor of diplomacy. I don’t see why they can’t do both. 

When the United States tried to give military aid to Ukraine during the Trump administration, the president (sic) used it for extortion, wanting the president of Ukraine to make up some dirt on his chief political rival. Donald Trump he was impeached for his illegal manuevers and mob tactics.

We don’t know what’s included in the military aid package Biden has crafted, but Ukraine has asked for air defense systems, anti-ship missiles, more Javelin anti-tank missiles, electronic jamming gear, radar systems, ammunition, upgraded artillery munitions and medical supplies. But if Russia rolls into Ukraine, they can pretty much take it just like they did when they formed the Soviet Union.

While Ukraine and some members of Congress are demanding this $200 million military aid package to be sent to Ukraine now, the United States has already sent over $400 million military aid to Ukraine in 2021, with another $50 million in the pipeline. 

Biden had a Zoom conference call with Russian president Vladimir Putin earlier this week when he threatened harsh sanctions if they do invade Ukraine. Many expect those santions to include the Nordstrom 2, a gas pipeline from Russia to Europe, which a lot of our European allies are in favor of, especially Germany. 

What does Putin want with Ukraine anyway? It’s probably personal while also a distraction from Russia’s internal collection of crises. Putin views Ukraine and Russians as basically the same people and that the nation should be closer to Russia than to the west. But Ukraine, led by a pro-democracy president in Volodymyr Zelensky, wants closer ties to the United States, western Europe, and NATO. 

Putin annexed Crimea in 2014 and he may see the rest of Ukraine as unfinished business. If Putin invades Ukraine, he’ll do so while telling the world Ukraine attacked Russia. Putin has been spreading misinformation for years. Remember the 2016 election? You can bet Donald Trump will be eager to help Putin spread lies. When Putin re-wrote history and said Afghanistan invaded the Soviet Union in 1979, Donald Trump repeated the lie. Putin also has the support of anti-democratic Trump supporters in this nation. Trump supporters love Vladimir Putin and fascism. 

President Biden has also announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics to beheld in Beijing. This boycott is over China’s human rights abuses of the Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. This boycott means we’re not sending diplomats, but U.S. athletes will still participate. U.S. corporations that sponsor the Olympics will also continue to participate. While Biden’s critics say this is weak, China is pretty pissed off with one Chinese media pundit saying he hopes Biden lives to see a boycott of the Los Angeles Olympics. I guess they really wanted to meet Antony Blinken.

There are also concerns China may invade Taiwan. China views Taiwan the same way Putin sees Ukraine, as though it belongs to them. In fact, China doesn’t recognize Taiwan at all and officially views it as a part of its nation. U.S. policy has been weak with Taiwan for decades as it refuses to recognize it as a sovereign nation and it doesn’t have a seat in the United Nations (they did but China took it). Only 13 nations recognize Taiwan as an independent country. 

Is Biden being weak? What else can he do beyond promising military intervention? The one certainty in all of this is that the United States will not send forces to fight in Ukraine and Taiwan. 

Creative note: This cartoon isn’t one of my usual laugh-yourself-into-the-ground-knee-slapping-hee-hee-pee-yourself-funny cartoons, but I still wanted to do it. It’s been in my head for a few days and I was waiting for someone else to do it. Maybe someone else did think of it but thought it was a bad idea. This is too subtle for social media which means newspapers will probably love it.

Music note: While drawing today’s cartoon, I listened to some Nirvana, Better Than Ezra, and She Bites Dogs. I signed up for a free six-month trial of Apple Music today because I am that annoyed with Amazon Music and the way they just changed everything up. Since I just paid for this month, that gives me a month to go through my Amazon Music and add it to my Apple.
Also, She Bites Dogs is Dorian Cleveland’s band, my friend who just passed away. If you’re on Apple Music, add them and my band, Corporate T-Shirt.

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are 18 copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 3721, Fredericksburg, VA 22402.

Watch me draw: