Western efforts to curb Mr Putin's threatening behavior... are being undermined by the Biden administration's reluctance to confront Mr Putin.
In seeking to appease Moscow, Mr Biden appears to be overlooking Washington's commitment to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which commits the US, as well as other allies such as the UK and France, to safeguard Ukraine's territorial integrity in return for dismantling its Soviet-era nuclear weapons arsenal. Any failure by the Biden administration to honor this solemn undertaking would further erode Washington's already tarnished credibility on the world stage.
The suggestion that Mr Biden is preparing to sell out Ukraine has enraged Washington's NATO allies in eastern Europe who are currently bearing the brunt of Russian aggression and believe, with some justification, that Mr Biden is preparing to make unacceptable concessions to Moscow, such as providing political guarantees that will curb NATO's freedom of movement and its ability to operate effectively against Russian aggression.
Indeed, it could be argued that the Biden administration's inherent weakness has been a determining factor in encouraging Mr Putin to adopt a more confrontational attitude towards the West on issues like Ukraine.
Mr Biden's evident unwillingness to defend America's interests has even prompted the Kremlin to threaten deploying intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe to threaten NATO.
The American president's deep-seated aversion to military confrontation also explains China's recent adoption of a more confrontational attitude on the issue of Taiwan, with Taiwanese leaders warning that Beijing could be ready to mount a full-scale invasion of Taiwan by 2025.
Nor is Beijing likely to de-escalate tensions with Taipei when all the indications suggest that Mr Biden is preparing to appease the Kremlin with regard to Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden's willingness to appease Russia over its aggressive conduct towards Ukraine is threatening to create deep divisions within the NATO alliance -- a result that would doubtless delight Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pictured: Biden and Putin share a laugh in Geneva, Switzerland, on on June 16, 2021. (Photo by Peter Klaunzer/Pool/Keystone via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden's willingness to appease Russia over its aggressive conduct towards Ukraine is threatening to create deep divisions within the NATO alliance -- a result that would doubtless delight Russian President Vladimir Putin. NATO was created specifically as a collective defense against potential Russian aggression.
With an estimated 100,000 Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border, Western leaders have sought to present a united front to dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine.
There is mounting concern among Western intelligence services, which is also shared by the Ukrainian government, that the presence of a well-armed Russian battlegroup close to the Ukrainian border indicates that Moscow could launch a full-scale invasion as soon as next month.
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