THAT WILL DO IT FOR THE CLAMAN
"COUNTDOWN".
LARRY: HELLO, EVERYONE, WELCOME
TO "KUDLOW," I’M LARRY KUDLOW.
SO THE CONCLUSION OF HIS
STIRRING SPEECH TO CONGRESS THIS
MORNING UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT
ZELENSKYY EXHORTED PRESIDENT
BIDEN TO BE THE LEADER OF THE
WORLD AND THEN ZELENSKYY WENT ON
TO SAY, BEING THE LEADER OF THE
WORLD MEANS BEING THE LEADER OF
PEACE.
NOW MR. ZELENSKYY BASICALLY
APPLAUDED PRESIDENT BIDEN’S
ACTIONS REGARDING MILITARY AND
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE BUT I THINK
WITH THOSE LAST FEW WORDS HE WAS
KIND OF PRODDING BIDEN TO BE A
STRONGER LEADER, A TOUGHER
LEADER, A PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH
LEADER.
EARLIER THIS WEEK I URGED
MR. BIDEN TO STAND UP WITH
MR. PUTIN.
BE MUCH TOUGHER WITH PUTIN WITH
BOTH ACTIONS AND RHETORIC.
WHEN THE PUTIN BARKS ABOUT ACTS
OF WAR, THE U.S. SHOULD BARK
RIGHT BACK, INSTEAD OF COWERING
FINDING THE NEAREST DESK AND
CRAWLING UNDERNEATH IT.
PUTIN IS A WAR CRIMINAL.
HE IS A GLOBAL PARIAH.
HE MADE AN ENORMOUS MISTAKE IN
UKRAINE.
TRAGICALLY THE UKRAINIANS ARE
BEARING ALMOST UNSUFFICIENTABLE
COST BUT PUTIN AND PUTIN’S
RUSSIA WILL BE BIGGEST LOSER.
HE HAS A PUNY ECONOMY.
HIS CURRENCY COLLAPSED.
HIS STOCK MARKET CLOSED.
HE IS RUNNING OUT OF WARTIME
SUPPLIES HE IS DEFAULTING ON HIS
SOVEREIGN DEBT.
MORE AND MORE OF HIS PEOPLE ARE
REBELLING.
HIS SOLDIERS ARE FLEEING THE
CONVOY.
HIS MARCH TO WALK THROUGH
UKRAINE TO TAKE KYIV HAS FAILED.
AFTER PRODDING BY CONGRESS,
PRODDING BY THE EUROPEANS,
JOE BIDEN IS FINALLY PROVIDING
THE KIND OF MILITARY AND
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE THAT HE
SHOULD HAVE PUT UP BEFORE THE
INVASION.
AT LEAST NOW HE IS GETTING MOST
OF IT DONE.
BUT I WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE
POINTS HERE THAT SHOULD BE DONE.
FIRST, THERE IS SIMPLY NO REASON
WHY THE U.S. SHOULD NOT GIVE THE
GREEN LIGHT TO POLAND SO THOSE
OLD SOVIET MiG AIRPLANES CAN
BE USED BY THE UKRAINIANS.
THERE IS JUST NO REASON.
JUST SAY YES TO THE POLS.
IF ZELENSKYY AND HIS MILITARY
THINK IT WILL HELP THEN HELP
THEM.
SECOND, THE U.S. AND EUROPE
NEVER GOT AROUND TO FULLY
SANCTIONING THE RUSSIAN OIL AND
GAS INDUSTRY OR SOME OF THEIR
KEYBANC LENDERS BUT
"WALL STREET JOURNAL" COLUMNIST
JENKINS HAS A VERY GOOD IDEA.
THE EUROPEANS CAN ESCROW RUSSIAN
GAS SALES PAYMENTS UNTIL THE
FIGHTING COMES TO AN END.
I WILL QUOTE MY FRIEND, HOLMAN
JENKINS, THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UKRAINIAN NAFTO GAS, URI, AND
HIS PIPELINE THEY DELIVER
RUSSIAN GAS TO EUROPE AND THEY
LIKE THE IDEA OF A CASH ESCROW.
HE THINKS IT IS A LOT BETTER
THAN ACTUALLY SHUTTING DOWN THE
RUSSIAN GAS WELLS.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU SHUT THE WELTS
DOWN IT TAKES A VERY LONG TIME
TO REOPENING BUT SETTING UP AN
ESCROW ACCOUNT WOULD AT LEAST
STEP THE CASH FROM FLOWING TO
PUTIN’S WAR MACHINE. I LIKE THIS A LOT.
I LIKE THIS A LOT.
I WANT TO HELP HOLMAN SPREAD IT
AROUND.
PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER IT.
IF THEY WANT TO SHUT DOWN THE
WELLS, THAT IS UP TO THEM BUT IT
WOULD COST THEM IN TERMS OF THE
VERY LONG DAMAGE.
IF AND WHEN FIGHTING IN UKRAINE
GETS THEIR MONEY BACK.
IF AND WHEN THE FIGHTING ENDS
THEY GET THEIR MONEY OUT OF
ESCROW.
FINALLY, MR. BIDEN TODAY,
FINALLY GOT AROUND TO CALLING
PUTIN A WAR CRIMINAL.
HE KIND OF FOOT FAULTED ON HIS
FIRST SERVE BUT HE DID GET THE
BALL IN PLAY ON SERVE NUMBER
TWO.
BUT WHAT I’M NOT SEEING IN
GENERAL IS OUR PRESIDENT TAKING
THE LEAD AND PUBLICLY ATTACKING
PUTIN AND HIS INSANE POLICIES.
I’M TALKING ABOUT FORCEFUL
SPEECHES.
REMEMBER RONALD REAGAN TAKING ON
THE SOVIET UNION COMMUNISTS?
WE WIN, YOU LOSE.
REMEMBER REAGAN WORKING WITH
POPE JOHN PAUL II AND MARGARET
THATCHER TO SURROUND THE SOVIETS
ON THE WORLD STAGE AND BOX THEM IN?
REMEMBER REAGAN’S EVIL EMPIRE?
REMEMBER TEAR DOWN THIS WALL?
I KNOW THERE IS ONLY ONE REAGAN.
MY GREAT HONOR TO HAVE WORKED
FOR HIM YEARS AGO.
HE WAS IN MY OPINION THE
GREATEST PRESIDENT IN THE
20th CENTURY BUT IN
MR. BIDEN’S CASE, COULDN’T WE