Tipsheet

'We're Back to Helicopters on Rooftops': Biden Considers Evacuating Americans from Ukraine

Oh, no—are we seeing the sequel to the Afghanistan fiasco here? Will this evacuation be as shambolic as our previous ignominious exit that was captured for all to see at Kabul airport? We'll see. 

What we do know is that Russia has had around 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border for months. They're reportedly waiting for the ground to freeze to make it easier for them to move tanks and heavy equipment. And Joe Biden sort of gave Putin the green light to invade. His staff moved quickly to clarify his trip-up at his presser this week, where Joe admitted our response might not be as aggressive depending on the size and scale of the invasion. 

Now, we've warned that severe consequences could be lobbed against Russia should they invade, but the messaging has been all over. Biden is asleep at the switch. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is a deer in the headlights. No wonder why we're considering evacuating Americans from Ukraine (via Bloomberg): 

The U.S. is weighing whether to evacuate family members of diplomats stationed in Ukraine as Russia masses more than 100,000 troops on its borders, according to people familiar with the matter.

Under the plan, non-essential staff would be able to leave voluntarily while family members would be ordered to return home. An announcement may come within days, according to the people, who asked not to be identified before a decision is reached.

The Biden administration has increased its warnings over a potential invasion as Russia continues to build up its forces near Ukraine’s borders. A decision to evacuate wouldn’t mean the U.S. is certain that Russia will invade and simply reflects prudent preparations as tensions rise, one of the people said.

State Department officials declined to comment.

As Stephen Miller (RedSteeze) noted, "We're back to the helicopters on rooftops portion of the Biden administration." Everywhere we go, we appear lost or ready to retreat. And Russia really shouldn't be our top concern. It's China—and they're watching all of this, especially our sloppy handling. Unlike Ukraine, anything that happens in the Taiwan Strait could result in a massive war. Yet, back to Ukraine, Biden should have been clear that a Russian invasion of Ukraine was not acceptable. There shouldn't be any nuance or anything left open to interpretation. He did the opposite, which only buoys the narrative that he's incompetent and just incapable of doing this job. This was a classic Joe moment. He's long had diarrhea of the mouth—and it could have opened the door for Russia to get things going. 

We'll see.