In an apparent attempt to not repeat the bad optics and moral travesty of failing to get Americans out of Afghanistan by an arbitrary/self-imposed deadline, President Biden has decided to simply not try to get Americans out of Ukraine at all if Russia invades. And almost as shocking, the liberal broadcast networks, who were actually tough on Biden’s abandonment a few months ago, didn’t share the same outrage at what’s essentially a morbid promise by the President.
At no point did any of the networks invoke the Afghanistan withdrawal disaster, nor did they air any concern or criticism of the decision to leave Americans in a war zone. They treated it as the Biden administration giving them fair warning and getting out is on them now.
“We begin tonight with the urgent warning from the White House late today on the threat from Russia. The White House now saying there's a, quote, ‘credible prospect’ that Russian forces could invade Ukraine within days,” ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir announced at the top of the newscast, imparting the seriousness of the situation. “Warning Americans in Ukraine to leave now.”
ABC correspondent Terry Moran played a soundbite of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan telling the press pool that they planned to not even try to get Americans out. “[T]he time for U.S. citizens there to get out is now,” Moran said. “And Sullivan warned that U.S. troops would not be used to evacuate American citizens.”
CBS Evening News also made sure to impart how serious the situation was with anchor Norah O’Donnell noting, “[the administration warns] American citizens should leave the country within the next 48 hours. Other countries, including Britain, are urging their citizens to do the same.”
Chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes treated the promise to again abandon Americans in a possible war zone as acceptable (Click “expand”):
And tonight, CBS news has learned that the U.S. has picked up new intelligence, indicating that Russian commanders have been told to be ready for a possible invasion by the 16th, that's just five days away. Americans living in Ukraine got a blunt warning today: There will be no U.S. rescue operation if they get trapped.
(…)
The State Department estimates there are roughly 6,000 Americans living in Ukraine. The U.S. has begun pulling personnel from its embassy in Kyiv.
“This evening, the White House announcing 3,000 additional American troops have been ordered to deploy to Poland,” NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt said for his part. “[A]nd repeating what President Biden told me during an interview yesterday, that American citizens in Ukraine should leave now, telling me, quote, ‘things could go crazy quickly.’”
Further, in the NBC segment, chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel rhetorically shrugged at the fact that Biden was fine trusting the Russian military with American lives (Click “expand”):
ENGEL: President Biden stressed to Lester that help is not coming for Americans who stay, but that President Putin knows not to target Americans.
HOLT: You've told him Americans would be a line that they can't cross?
BIDEN: I didn't have to tell him that. I have spoken about that. He knows that. Look, what I asked is American citizens should leave, should leave now.
Each of the networks did speak with Americans living in Ukraine and were planning to stay, at least in the short term.
“It's hard to leave your life. Obviously, if there's a war I'll leave. Okay? I'm not going to live in a war zone. But in advance to that, it's hard to leave,” Aaron Star told Moran. On CBS, Brian Best told them, “I will stay, yeah, because this is my home. But I suppose if Russia did occupy Ukraine, that would be my time to leave.”
And on NBC, Engel spoke to Dave Egan who said: “I don't know what's going to happen, but I am not running. I have too many friends and my home and I like it here.”
These portions of the segments merely served to give people an understanding of why someone would choose to stay. It was not a substitute for pushing back the Biden administration or showing actual criticism of the policy.
This disregard for Americans that will be willfully abandoned in Ukraine was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Prevagen on ABC, Allstate on CBS, and Liberty Mutual on NBC. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
February 11, 2022
6:32:26 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: We begin tonight with the urgent warning from the White House late today on the threat from Russia. The White House now saying there's a, quote, “credible prospect” that Russian forces could invade Ukraine within days. Possibly before the Olympics end. Warning Americans in Ukraine to leave now. Tonight the U.S. military deploying another 3,000 troops from Fort Bragg to Poland.
(…)
6:33:34 p.m. Eastern
TERRY MORAN: National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan saying that while the U.S. has not concluded that Vladimir Putin has given the actual order to invade Ukraine, the time for U.S. citizens there to get out is now.
JAKE SULLIVAN (Nat. Sec. Advisor): We want to be crystal clear on this point. Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible, and in any event in the next 24 to 48 hours.
MORAN: And Sullivan warned that U.S. troops would not be used to evacuate American citizens.
The dire assessment of the crisis comes a day after President Biden offered this warning about how fast the situation could deteriorate.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: We're dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. This is a very different situation, and things could go crazy quickly.
(…)
6:35:02 p.m. Eastern
MORAN: For Americans who live here, the call for them to leave is hard. 25-year-old American teacher Aaron Star, who has a job and a Ukrainian girlfriend here in Kyiv, told us he won't evacuate yet.
AARON STAR: It's hard to leave your life. Obviously, if there's a war I'll leave. Okay? I'm not going to live in a war zone. But in advance to that, it's hard to leave.
(…)
CBS Evening News
February 11, 2022
6:32:03 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: We're going to begin with ominous warnings from the Biden administration that Russia has the troops in place to possibly invade Ukraine at any time and that American citizens should leave the country within the next 48 hours. Others countries, including Britain, are urging their citizens to do the same.
And as we come on the air, President Biden is pressing to get on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon in his ongoing attempts to deescalate the crisis which sent shock waves through the financial markets today. The Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P plummeted on fears of war.
Russia for months has been surrounding Ukraine with troops saying it wants to enforce red lines to make sure its soviet former neighbor doesn't join the NATO alliance. Russia is now conducting massive military drills with neighboring Belarus.
And also tonight, a brand new CBS News poll finds a slight majority of Americans would prefer if the U.S. stay out of negotiations with Russia and Ukraine.
(…)
6:33:09 p.m. Eastern
NANCY CORDES: And tonight, CBS news has learned that the U.S. has picked up new intelligence, indicating that Russian commanders have been told to be ready for a possible invasion by the 16th, that's just five days away. Americans living in Ukraine got a blunt warning today: There will be no U.S. rescue operation if they get trapped.
[Cuts to video]
White House officials call this a sign of escalation, video and satellite images showing more Russian troops arriving at the Ukrainian border. It prompted this video call today between President Biden and a dozen other NATO leaders, as U.S. Officials urged all Americans in Ukraine to “depart now.”
JAKE SULLIVAN (Nat. Sec. Advisor): The President will not be putting the lives of our men and women in uniform at risk by sending them into a war zone to rescue people who could have left now but chose not to.
CORDES: The State Department estimates there are roughly 6,000 Americans living in Ukraine. The U.S. has begun pulling personnel from its embassy in Kyiv.
(…)
6:36:27 p.m. Eastern
IMTIAZ TYAB: The fear now is Russia's massive military drills in Belarus could soon become a horrifying reality with the State Department warning too few Americans are heeding President Biden's advice to leave Ukraine.
Brian best, a California native who lives in Kyiv with his Ukrainian wife and two children, says he has a lot to consider.
Will you stay?
BRIAN BEST: I will stay, yeah, because this is my home. But I suppose if Russia did occupy Ukraine, that would be my time to leave.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
February 11, 2022
7:01:53 p.m. Eastern(…)
LESTER HOLT: This evening, the White House announcing 3,000 additional American troops have been ordered to deploy to Poland, warning there's now a distinct possibility that Russian forces could invade Ukraine before the end of the Olympics – just nine days away – and repeating what President Biden told me during an interview yesterday, that American citizens in Ukraine should leave now, telling me, quote, “things could go crazy quickly.”
(…)
7:02:48 p.m. Eastern
RICHARD ENGEL: The Pentagon now sending an additional 3,000 U.S. troops to Poland, with the White House warning Americans to leave Ukraine within 48 hours.
JAKE SULLIVAN (Nat. Sec. Advisor): Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible.
ENGEL: But tonight, American Dave Egan in Kyiv says he is not going anywhere.
DAVE EGAN: I don't know what's going to happen, but I am not running. I have too many friends and my home and I like it here.
ENGEL: President Biden stressed to Lester that help is not coming for Americans who stay, but that President Putin knows not to target Americans.
HOLT: You've told him Americans would be a line that they can't cross?
PRESIDENT BIDEN: I didn't have to tell him that. I have spoken about that. He knows that. Look, what I asked is American citizens should leave, should leave now.
(…)
