On Monday's episode of "The Stephen A. Smith Show," ESPN's Stephen A. Smith offered a critical perspective on the Democratic leadership's role in the unfolding Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Smith contended that Democratic presidents bear more responsibility for the circumstances leading to the war than President Donald Trump.
As reported by the Daily Caller, Smith pointed to key historical events to support his argument. Russia's invasion of Ukraine commenced in February 2022, during President Joe Biden's administration. Additionally, the annexation of Crimea by Russia occurred in 2014 under President Barack Obama's leadership.
Smith also referenced the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, signed during President Bill Clinton's tenure, as a pivotal factor in the current geopolitical landscape. This agreement saw Ukraine relinquish its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security assurances from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia.
Smith remarked, "[W]e aint gon act like [Trump] caused this now. Its Democrats in office. It was Biden in office when a full-fledged war against Ukraine took place courtesy of Russias instigation no matter what they try to say to Trump."
He further emphasized, "It was Russia that invaded Crimea and that was under the Obama administration! It was Clinton in office when you made a deal that disarmed the Ukraine and therefore weakened them leaving them dependent on the United States!"
The commentator underscored the implications of the Budapest Memorandum, highlighting Ukraine's current predicament of seeking support from the West. "And now here they are having to beg for support that theyre owed because of what we promised them as a nation! We promised them this! You owe it to the Ukraine, Ukrainians," Smith asserted.
He clarified, "Im not saying I like it. Im not saying I like spending billions of our taxpayer dollars to them. Thats not what Im saying. What Im saying is promises made are supposed to be promises kept. You promised them, America!"
In a related development, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a joint press conference with the U.S. president in Alaska, suggested that the conflict might have been averted if President Trump had been in office. Putin stated, "I would like to remind you that in 2022, during the last contact with the previous administration, I tried to convince my previous American colleague that the situation should not be brought to the point of no return when it would come to hostilities."
He added, "Today, when President Trump is saying that if he was the President back then, there would be no war, and Im quite sure that it would indeed be so. I can confirm that."
In response to the escalating tensions, President Biden implemented a series of sanctions targeting Russian banks and debt. He also issued an executive order prohibiting U.S. individuals from engaging in new investments, trade, or financing in the separatist-controlled regions of Ukraine, known as the DNR and LNR.
Furthermore, on the eve of Russia's assault on Kyiv, Biden announced the reimposition of economic sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, vowing to "take further steps if Russia continues to escalate."
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