I don’t usually do two of these emails in a row, but the situation in Ukraine is changing fast, and I promised to keep you updated. And with all the misinformation and garbage spin being flung around the news networks, I feel like it’s even more important to cut through all that crap and tell you all what’s really going on.

Look, foreign policy is a very dangerous subject to discuss on live TV if your invited guests are warmongers and idiots.

Recently in the news I saw that networks like MSNBC and CNN decided to invite former UN ambassador and war enthusiast (and yes, idiot) John Bolton to share his opinion about what's going on in Ukraine.

I saw that and I almost lost it – of ALL the people they could have had on to talk about this conflict, they chose John Bolton? That man has never seen a war he did not want the United States to participate in; he needs war like you and I need air to breathe. 

What is happening in Ukraine right now is tragic, and we need to be prepared to support them while at the same time doing what we can do to deescalate the situation.

Thankfully, from where I sit, it looks like that’s exactly what President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken are doing.

Let's talk about sanctions for a minute – that’s a word that gets thrown around a lot, but most people really don't understand how they work.

You know who does understand sanctions, though? Criminals. Vladimir Putin and the Russian oligarchs could probably teach a Ph.D. program on sanctions and how to avoid them.

In matters of diplomacy, world leaders use both the “carrot” and the “stick” approach to bring wayward governments back in line with global norms. If offering aid packages in exchange for, say, loosening restrictions on civil rights is an example of the “carrot,” then sanctions are an example of the “stick” – world leaders punish bad behavior by imposing tough tariffs, trade bans, fines, and other financial penalties on offending nations until the cost becomes too great and (hopefully) they give in.

The United States has the capability to impose sanctions on Russia right now that would bankrupt the country and devastate its people.  But that’s not as easy as it sounds.

Let's play this scenario out, shall we? If we were to impose crippling sanctions on Russia, what do you think Putin would do? I’m no mind reader, but I’ve been around the block enough to have a pretty good idea of the way this would go down.

The very first thing Putin would do is go on the Russian State Propaganda network (think Fox News or OAN when Trump was in office) and tell his people, “Look at what the evil Americans have done to you.” 

Meanwhile, his billions will stay safely hidden, along with the fortunes of the oligarchs that he surrounds himself with. These guys know how to hide their assets and how to rig the system. They’re criminals, that’s what they do.

So, imposing sanctions is difficult. We have to track that money – billions and billions of dollars, much of it hidden in shady offshore accounts all over the world – and make sure that we hurt Putin and his cronies, not the average Russian citizen, because ultimately, that would lead to immense blowback for us … not Putin.

We need Putin on the ropes, we need him to be afraid of not just the international community but of the Russian people, too. President Biden played this perfectly: He looked into the camera and told the Russian people, “We are not your enemy,” and that is what makes him a brilliant statesman.

Every move the President makes from here on out is with one simple objective: Prevent World War III.

As Americans, I don't think we grasp how difficult of a situation our European allies are in right now. Russia supplies up to 40% of Europe’s gas, and the price hikes those countries are seeing right now are really hurting them. Despite the cost, they are standing with the United States and President Biden in opposition of Putin and authoritarianism.

You think this is an accident or an easy decision? It's not. President Biden has been on the phone non-stop shoring up our alliances across the globe, because to stop Putin and prevent a world war, we will all have to work together. Some of us will have to make sacrifices along the way. Right now, it’s the Europeans. Tomorrow, it might be us.

Diplomacy and economic pressure works when you do it the way President Biden is, hand-in-hand with our allies around the world.

Had Trump, Bolton, or Lindsey Graham been in charge, what kind of situation do you think we would be in right now? I will just leave that there for you to ponder.

Sappers clear the way, Airborne all the way!

--Richard