Baltics is not your buffer, NATO.

They’re not. They’re your protective shield—so drive that into your thick skull.

President Biden has the best economic team in the world—and the worst national security team. The stark difference between the two is impossible to miss.

Take Biden's Department of Commerce, for example. They have worked tirelessly to strengthen America’s next-generation semiconductor industry. The foresight and hard work they’ve put in have sparked an investment cycle worth half a trillion dollars, one that will not only create high-paying jobs but also ensure the United States remains at the forefront of an industry poised to shape the future of the world.

I wrote about this effort in detail in one of my previous stories, which you can read [here]. As Biden’s economic team worked relentlessly to secure America’s future, his national security team did the exact opposite. They’ve sent a loud and clear message to the Baltic nations and Ukraine: you can no longer trust the United States.

Frankly, I would recommend that these nations follow that logic.

This week, the White House released a document outlining plans to strengthen U.S. leadership in AI infrastructure, including limiting access to advanced U.S. AI technology and microchips for certain countries. While this demonstrates some strategic thinking in technology, it doesn’t erase the missteps made by Biden’s national security team that have alienated key allies.

"In the wrong hands, powerful AI systems have the potential to exacerbate significant national security risks, including by enabling the development of weapons of mass destruction, supporting powerful offensive cyber operations, and aiding human rights abuses, such as mass surveillance," the White House said.

No restrictions apply to chip sales to 18 key allies and partners. This flexibility enables jurisdictions with robust technology protection regimes and technology ecosystems aligned with the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States to benefit from seamless large-scale purchases. - WH

Those 18 "key allies and partners" are Australia, Belgium, Denmark, South Korea, France, Italy, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Finland, Taiwan, Germany and Sweden.

Gone missing are the Baltic nations and Ukraine. The ones that will be the first to get hit, if Russia escapes the downfall. And even if it falls, there could still be trouble for them.

Why did they do this?

This is the age-old strategy of Western European nations as well as the United States using the Baltics and Ukraine as buffer zones against imperial Russia. They all understand that future warfare depends on next-gen chips. Ukraine, already at the forefront of missile development, is ramping up production furiously.

However, none of the Western European nations, including the United States, want Ukraine + Baltics to become too powerful. In their view, that could risk triggering a nuclear war with Russia.

What message have they sent to NATO allies?

The message is clear: NATO has two tiers—an elite group and the "unwanted cousins." The latter have yet to fully grasp their place in this hierarchy, though the ham-handed treatment they’ve received from the rich and powerful within NATO is nothing new. They likely hoped for a shift in attitude after Putin dropped his mask in February 2022.

But no—no change.

So, tell me, why would the Baltics, Ukraine, or any other nation see listening to the United States as a good idea now? They won’t. Their resolve to band together and form a mini-alliance is already gaining momentum, and this decision will only accelerate that trend.

Jake Sullivan is the worst National Security Advisor in U.S. history, leaving office with a legacy of incompetence that sets a new, unreachable low. I wrote a year ago that if Ukraine was still fighting by the time the United States entered election season, President Biden would lose. Had he won that winnable war, he would still be President today.

Jake Sullivan ended it.

Period.