But as he confronts what could become Europe’s biggest conflict since 1945, Biden is also staring at the limits of the American presidency, as all his diplomatic efforts and economic threats were unable to prevent a determined authoritarian from invading a weaker country.
“He’s got a lot of experience in the world. He has engaged on this specific issue diplomatically when he was vice president and knows a lot of the characters,” said Brian Katulis, the vice president for policy at the Middle East Institute. “But that knowledge and expertise I’m not certain helps him, in part because of how this has developed and how brutal Putin is prepared to be.” continues
Do you think Biden is doing the right thing by holding himself responsible for the gas prices?
Is Biden being truthful that the sanctions are "designed to punish and weaken Russia afterward"?
Do you think Biden's history with Ukraine has affected anything? (Biden held more than 80 phone calls with Ukrainian leaders since 2015. In 2014, Obama assigned Biden the task of coordinating U.S. policy toward Ukraine. His son Hunter joined the board of Burisma (where Hunter was paid 50,000 a month), a Ukrainian gas company owned by a former government minister later accused of corruption.)
Interesting read, Curtis! The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is heartbreaking. I think the sanctions from the US (along with sanctions from European countries) have had a huge impact on Russia. Just a few days ago, the Russian market crashed 42% due to the sanctions, and no one sees that trend ending anytime soon. This cannot be labelled an absolute victory as these crashes harm innocent Russian citizens, not just Russian forces and leaders.
ReplyDeleteBiden isn't the only decision maker for things like gas pipelines, so I don't think he alone is responsible for gas prices increasing, but I'm glad he's taking the blame instead of throwing it onto someone else. A lot of people are saying that if the administration had allowed for the Keystone pipeline, the US wouldn't be so dependent on foreign countries for gas; while this is true, the Keystone pipeline posed a great environmental threat, so I wonder if a future decision will be made in favor of cheaper gas and against environmental consciousness?
I think the sanctions are huge part in what we as the US can do to prevent russian power. But I also think that this aggression will not expand past ukraine. I am of the personal opinion that we will have a strong enough response to disuade any further aggression. Even with the relative weak European Union, we will be strong enough to stop it.
ReplyDeleteWow.. this is really interesting. I did not know any of this but it is crazy to see how everything connects on way or another. What is happening in Ukraines is truly evil. I do not really know the solution or the right answer, but it is thought provoking to investigate past ties.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to imagine Putin being belligerent enough to move beyond Ukraine, but of course people said the same about Hitler's early aggressions. I don't have great confidence that Ukraine is Putin's only obsession. Let's see if sanctions work, before contemplating a more substantial and fatal response. Again: our species needs to grow up. Frustrating Putin, one way or another, may be a pivotal step along that road.
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