Excerpt from: Chuck Hagel and Leon E. Panetta, "This War Is Bad for America," The New York Times (April 01)

A black and white photo of U.S. troops standing at attention in rows in front of a large tank.
Credit...Kenny Holston/The New York Times; image from article  

"In Ukraine, we have worked with our NATO allies over the past four years to combat the most serious threat to global peace and security since World War II, but the president’s recent decision to remove sanctions on Russian oil puts President Vladimir Putin of Russia in a stronger position, while Ukraine and our other allies doubt our commitment to their security."

Mr. Hagel and Mr. Panetta are former secretaries of defense.

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