A letter to President George W. Bush of November 7, 2001 urged the president to deepen engagement with Russia ahead of his planned summit meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
It was signed by over 100 Members of Congress, and then-Senator Joe Biden’s signature went first (here is the full text.)
Attached to this letter was a 40-page document titled “New Time and a New Beginning” prepared by Congressman Curt Weldon who he hand-delivered to Bush’s NSC advisor Condoleezza Rice in advance of Bush – Putin November 13 – 15 summit in Washington and Crawford, Texas. This document included detailed proposals that could provide the basis for a new and mutually beneficial relationship with Russia.
It was also presented to Putin at the Russian Embassy in Washington on November 13 reception where in the presence of over 400 foreign diplomats and notable public figures the Russian President said: “We are ready to move Russia towards rapprochement with America as far as she is ready.”
Two days later Bush responded at a local Crawford high school, declaring Putin “a new style of leader, a reformer… a man who’s going to make a huge difference in making the world more peaceful, by working closely with the United States.”
What happened next is well-known. War in Iraq, Abrogation of the crucial security ABM treaty, push to bring Ukraine and Georgia into NATO, destruction of Libya and Syria, February 2014 coup in Ukraine, rejection of Russia’s mutual security proposals in December 2021, and of Russia-Ukraine peace deal reached in March 2022.
All of this was done with Biden’s vote as a senator or by his direct order as Vice-President or President.
The purpose of this article is to remind him and the rest of us of his signature on the document that could lay the foundation for a long-lasting peace, and strategic U.S.-Russia partnership to face the enormous challenges of the 21st Century.
Biden not only betrayed all these hopes and ideas but presently keeps fueling the fire by throwing more taxpayers billions and weapons into the fray thus pushing the world into a nuclear catastrophe.
Not a very encouraging situation.
Edward Lozansky is President of the American University in Moscow.