Helping with Javelins

“Helping with Javelins”, Monterey Herald – March 2, 2022

For Ukraine, the Javelin missiles are the single most effective defense tool in fighting the Russian invasion. Knowing this, Trump sent 210 Javelin missiles to Ukraine in March 2018. Now when Biden took office, and in spite of Russia’s clear threat to invade Ukraine early in Biden’s term, he waited until Jan. 27 to send any more Javelins. Why so late when they already knew this was the only weapon that Ukraine could really use so well against an imminent Russian invasion? On top of this lapse, Biden also delayed shipping Congressionally-approved Javelins on Dec 10, 2021, despite urgent appeals and pleas from Ukraine’s president for more of these arms! Congress is aware and must approve all this, hence Panetta does too. Why is he so quiet about yet another bad judgment call on the part of Biden? We are all hurting over this invasion, and to know that we could have helped in such an easy way. How awful!

— Dalila Epperson, Monterey