Joe Biden, the leader of the free world, emerged from a lengthy closed door confab after chatting with other NATO members about Vladimir Putin’s “minor incursion” into Ukraine, as Biden framed it ahead of the invasion. He trotted out for a presser and questions from his list of approved reporters to dispense some colossal canards.

After heaping mounds of praise on himself, one of his Leftmedia sycophants predictably offered Biden the chance to blame his predecessor for Biden’s mess so Biden could pat himself on the back. The statement/question: “There are widespread concerns in Europe that a figure like your predecessor, maybe even your predecessor himself, might get elected president again. So, are there any steps, anything you’re trying to do and NATO is trying to do here, these days, to prevent what you’re trying to do becoming undone two years from now?”

Now, any actual journalist knows with a high degree of confidence that there would be no need for an emergency NATO meeting if Donald Trump were still president because Putin would not dare cross into Ukraine, as he previously did when taking Crimea under the Obama/Biden regime. Except for his collaboration with Hillary Clinton’s fabricated Russia collusion delusion, Putin was quiet when Trump was in office.

Responding to the question, Biden opportunistically referenced the completely debunked lie that Tump supported Nazi protesters in Charlottesville, insisting, “The next election, I’d be very fortunate if I had that same man running against me.” That lie about Trump still resonates with Biden’s leftist cadres, but not so much with moderates when considering Biden’s latest record-low approval ratings, which apparently he has not seen. Indeed, Biden should not be so eager for a rematch with Trump.

He then patted himself on the back, asserting: “I’ve been dealing with foreign policy for longer than anybody that’s involved in this process right now. … One of the things that I take some solace from is: I don’t think you’ll find any European leader who thinks that I am not up to the job. And I mean that sincerely. It’s not like, ‘Whoa’ — It’s that — that.”

That left the free world wondering, huh?

Apparently, Putin does not think he is up to the job, and no doubt our NATO partners share that view — and I mean that sincerely.

To clarify, Biden added: “The point is that when — the first G7 meeting I attended … I sat down, and I said, ‘America is back.’ And … a head of state, said, ‘For how long?’ … But the next election, I’d be very fortunate if I had that same man running against me.” I think that question had more to do with how long before Kamala Harris is in…

That concluded the press conference, except it didn’t. Amid press attempts to ask another question, Biden responded, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, no — yeah, one final question.”

Big mistake.

There is a scene in a great movie, “Terms of Endearment,” when Jack Nicholson is unexpectedly confronted by his latest female dalliance after dropping her off at the airport. He laments, “I was just inches from a clean getaway.”

And thus it was with Biden. Just inches from a clean getaway, he took an unscripted question — and things went further downhill from there.

Oh how his puppeteers must cringe when he breaks free from their strings.

After declaring up front in his prepared remarks that the two most important things the U.S. and Nato have done are “first, support Ukraine with military and humanitarian assistance” and “second, impose the most significant — the most significant sanctions — economic sanction regime ever,” he was broadsided with this question: “Deterrence didn’t work. What makes you think Vladimir Putin will alter course based on the action you’ve taken today?”

And he took the bait.

Biden responded: “Let’s get something straight: You remember, if you’ve covered me from the beginning, I did not say that in fact the sanctions would deter him. Sanctions never deter. You keep talking about that. Sanctions never deter.” He repeated the post-invasion lie from his State of the Union remarks: “No one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening.”

Of course, Biden and Harris and all of their advisers have clearly and repeatedly asserted that sanctions were the primary deterrent to invasion, and they have talked endlessly about sanctions.

For the record, just days before the 24 February invasion, Biden’s cackling VP Harris insisted at her meeting with NATO, “The purpose of the sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence.” Biden’s equally inept Secretary of State Anthony Blinken declared, “The purpose of the sanctions … is to try to deter Russia from going to war.” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said likewise, “The president believes that sanctions are intended to deter.” Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh added: “They’re meant to prevent and deter a large-scale invasion of Ukraine … meant to prevent large-scale human suffering.” Biden’s weasel at the Pentagon, John Kirby, said, “We want them to have a deterrent effect, clearly, and he hasn’t invaded yet.”

Two days after the invasion, Biden insisted, “These are profound sanctions, let’s have a conversation in another month or so and see if they’re working.” This week’s NATO presser was one month after that comment.

Notably, regarding what Biden said was the first most important thing NATO has done – “support Ukraine with military and humanitarian assistance,” that capacity is largely due to Trump’s demand four years ago, that NATO countries build their military capacity and take more responsibility for Europe’s defense.

Finally, there were a few other Biden question marks.

If Putin uses chemical weapons in Ukraine, Biden said: “We would respond if he uses it. The nature of the response would depend on the nature of the use.” Clears that up.

And regarding the greatest existential threat to our national security, China, Biden was asked about Red Chinese dictator Xi Jinping helping Russia, and said that in his call to Xi: “I made it clear to him — I made no threats, but I made it clear to him that — make sure he understood the consequences of him helping Russia.” I bet Xi lost a lot of sleep over Biden’s threat of consequences. And what exactly did Biden say those consequences would be? That’s right, sanctions. Oh wait … they don’t work.

Biden’s next stop is Poland for selfies with Ukrainian refugees, more than 3.5 million of whom have fled their home country. Biden offered to take in 100,000, which is tantamount to admitting defeat, but Ukrainians want to stay in Poland and other countries near the Ukraine border, hoping to go home. Meanwhile, Biden is advising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to appease Putin, to acquiesce.

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776