TOW # 21: Ukraine's Drama, Obama's Weakness by John Bolton

In this article about the recent Russian invasion of the Crimea Region in Ukraine, author John Bolton discusses the Obama's Administration's ineptitude at handling this crisis as well as previous internaitonal issues. He goes into the history surrounding the previous Soviet region and also discusses the failure of the EU to fully incorporate the country after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Through his appeal to logos and detailed timeline, Bolton explains why Ukraine is currently in the situation it is and why the those in power are not doing enought to address the issue.    

Bolton begins with some examples of the failings of those in Washington in terms of international affiars, such as how Obama's vision to "fundamentally change" America has caused a lack of focus outside of the borders. He argues that the president has not done enough when faced with previous issues similar (Syria comes to mind). He compiles the inadequecy of the administration with the failings of NATO and the EU in general to help Ukraine transition into a more Westernized country. He writes, "Ukraine's turmoil shows why. When the Soviet Union dissolved at the end of December 1991 and its constituent republics, some unwillingly, split off, the West had an enormous opportunity to bring these newly independent states into its orbit. The path was clear, as the central and eastern European states freed from the Warsaw Pact's chains demonstrated by immediately seeking NATO membership." When NATO and the EU did not follow this plan, Ukranian president Viktor Yanukovich then began having increasing ties with Russia rather than the West. It is ultimately, as Bolton spells out, these chain of events that led to the current situation today.

Overall, the author did not fully address  his purpose because he didn't focus enough on what the Obama administration should actually do. It's easy to say that Washington isn't doing enough: but how exactly it should procede given the circumstance of this extremely sensitive sitation with Russia is a much harder arguement to make. This article was probably meant for a layperson as it gives a detailed history of Ukraine and the region to give background information that is affecting the issue. John Bolton is a former U.S Ambassador to the U.N