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Volume 14, Issue 45
“Nazism is born in silence. So shout about killings of civilians. Shout about the murders of Ukrainians.”
—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
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Soft power is no weapon against tanks and missiles
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By Sarah Stern | March 4, 2022 | Published in JNS
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If we have learned anything from the events of the past week in Ukraine, it is that diplomacy without the credible threat of military force becomes a weapon in the hands of the most ruthless. President Vladimir Putin has proven, as well, that diplomacy even with the threat of strong sanctions is meaningless to the deranged psyche of megalomaniac despots and dictators. The soft power of sanctions and diplomacy is not a weapon against tanks and missiles in the hands of a madman.
This has been a jarring wake up call for many in the American foreign policy establishment, who have been deep in slumber since the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1991. Unfortunately, we in the West have enjoyed many halcyon days of the post-Cold War order. Simultaneously, we have proven time and time again that we have an amazing capacity to delude ourselves into the belief that this is a Kantian world in which human reason leads us to a just, moral world. Unfortunately, Putin has proven that for some actors on the world’s stage this is a Hobbesian world where, in his deranged, power-hungry quest he is determined to make life for his fellow man “nasty, brutish and short.”
Read more here
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Moderated by Lauri Regan
As the Biden administration imposes broad sanctions on Russia in a late attempt to deter military advancements and aggression in Ukraine, it has also been quietly waiving, releasing and otherwise not enforcing extensive sanctions that were part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran. From a foreign policy standpoint, this administration has been singularly focused on rejoining a deal with the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, responsible for the deaths of thousands of American soldiers and untold numbers of innocent civilians the world over. Iran has been seeking nuclear weapons and expanding its nuclear programs, infrastructure, and facilities since the signing of the JCPOA in 2015.
None of this makes sense, but Behnam Ben Taleblu will help us break down what’s going on in the negotiations taking place in Vienna. What might a final but weaker and more dangerous deal look like? What is the likelihood that Biden will agree to all of Iran’s demands? What is the impact of reversing the maximum pressure sanctions that had been very effective? And the lessons from those sanctions can be applied to the Russian war in Ukraine?
About the Speaker: Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at FDD where he focuses on Iranian security and political issues. Behnam previously served as a research fellow and senior Iran analyst at FDD. Prior to his time at FDD, Behnam worked on non-proliferation issues at an arms control think-tank in Washington. Leveraging his subject-matter expertise and native Farsi skills, Behnam has closely tracked a wide range of Iran-related topics including: nuclear non-proliferation, ballistic missiles, sanctions, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the foreign and security policy of the Islamic Republic, and internal Iranian politics. Frequently called upon to brief journalists, congressional staff, and other Washington-audiences, Behnam has also testified before the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament.
His analysis has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Fox News, The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse, among others. Additionally, he has contributed to or co-authored articles for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Fox News, The Hill, War on the Rocks, The National Interest, and U.S. News & World Report. Behnam has appeared on a variety of broadcast programs, including BBC News, Fox News, CBS Interactive, C-SPAN, and Defense News. Behnam earned his MA in International Relations from The University of Chicago, and his BA in International Affairs and Middle East Studies from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.
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As Russia invades Ukraine, the entire world is wondering what on earth is Vladimir Putin thinking? How does this affect the liberal world order as we know it, with the United States at the helm? What is this going to do to the world’s energy supply? Would that further empower Iran? How does all of this affect Israel?
Here to answer these questions was Dr. Stephen Blank.
About the speaker: Stephen Blank is an internationally recognized expert on Russian foreign and defense policies and international relations across the former Soviet Union. He is also a leading expert on European and Asian security, including energy issues. Since 2020 he has been a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute www.fpri.org. In 2020-21 he also was a Senior Expert for Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace From 2013-2020 he was a Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, www.afpc.org From 1989-2013 he was a Professor of Russian National Security Studies at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. Dr. Blank has been Professor of National Security Affairs at the Strategic Studies Institute since 1989. In 1998-2001 he was Douglas MacArthur Professor of Research at the War College. Dr. Blank has consulted for the CIA, major think tanks and foundations, chaired major international conferences in the USA and abroad In Florence, Prague, and London, and has been a commentator on foreign affairs in the media in the United States and abroad. He has also advised major corporations on investing in Russia and is a consultant for the Gerson Lehrmann Group. He has published over 1300 articles and monographs on Soviet/Russian, U.S., Asian, and European military and foreign policies, including publishing or editing 15 books, testified frequently before Congress on Russia, China, and Central Asia for business, government, and professional think tanks here and abroad on these issues. He has also appeared on CNN, BBC, Deutsche Welle, CNBC Asia, and is a regular guest on VOA.
Prior to his appointment at the Army War College in 1989 Dr. Blank was Associate Professor for Soviet Studies at the Center for Aerospace Doctrine, Research, and Education of Air University at Maxwell AFB. He also held the position of 1980-86: Assistant Professor of Russian History, University of Texas, San Antonio, 1980-86, and Visiting Assistant Professor of Russian history, University of California, Riverside, 1979-80.
Dr. Blank's M.A. and Ph.D. are in Russian History from the University of Chicago. His B.A. is in History from the University of Pennsylvania.
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EMET normally does not solicit for other charitable organizations, but these are very desperate times and our fellow Jews are in need.
We are all watching the developments in Ukraine with great concern. As the situation continues to develop, there are already efforts to ensure that the Jewish communities in the region have the assistance that they need. In addition to your tefillot, please consider donating to one of these funds being established to support our brothers and sisters in Ukraine who are facing unknown challenges in the days and weeks ahead.
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EMET implores readers to contact your representatives and senators TODAY and urge them to stop this deal immediately.
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