The Russian military is now encamped on 3/4’s of the Ukrainian borders…..
And the Biden admin is following a policy of putting Putin’s military moves ‘out there ‘to the world…
And….
The American President does NOT want to get a situation that might have Americans and Russian troops in direct contact….
Overwhelming disclosure has enabled Washington to present a highly public case for a real and present danger, narrowing the daylight between the U.S. and European allies on decisions for high sanctions for Putin that could ultimately serve as a successful deterrent to invasion. Differences between allies on a coordinated response no doubt still exist — but even the reluctant Germans are beginning to talk tougher.
And if Putin had hoped for a stealth attack, he now has the eyes of the world watching.
“The Biden administration has waged a campaign of deterrence in what the Russians sometimes call the ‘information space,’ ” wrote The Washington Post’s David Ignatius. “To mobilize allies, U.S. officials have shared sensitive intelligence about Russia’s moves; when they’ve detected Russian plots, they’ve disclosed them. These aggressive tactics have checked Russia’s usual advantages of surprise and stealth.”…
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Another risk: That Russian troop movements are simply a ruse to capture the West’s attention, ice Ukraine’s hopes of ever joining NATO, test the will of the United States and Europe, and force a dialogue over its claimed security concerns.
“What if this diplomatic show was exactly what Putin wanted out of his move?” wrote Foreign Policy columnist Caroline de Gruyter.“What if the West played into his hands by trying to deter him? What if the West actually fell into his carefully laid trap?”
If there is no invasion, the United States and Europe could still be dragged into a long, diplomatic morass over Ukraine’s future that will suck time and energy from other important global affairs.
But that’s still better than war, which the administration could claim to have headed off by calling Putin out — or at least say it tried if he does invade….
Update….
And Excellent piece explaining the overall Russia /Ukraine, East European /Putin, NATO interplay which is MUCH more complicated than the headlines ….
Breaking….
Manu Raju
@mkraju
Biden-Putin call is tomorrow, source tells @Kevinliptakcnn. The last time they spoke was end of December
I doubt this amounts to much of anything….
Perception’s…..
The Pentagon is sending another 3,000 combat troops to Poland to join 1,700 who already are assembling there in a demonstration of American commitment to NATO allies worried at the prospect of Russia invading Ukraine, a senior defense official said Friday.
The additional soldiers will depart their post at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, over the next couple days and should be in Poland by early next week, according to the defense official, who provided the information under ground rules set by the Pentagon. They are the remaining elements of an infantry brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Their mission will be to train and provide deterrence but not to engage in combat in Ukraine….
More…
Update….
US and Russia are pulling their diplomates out of the Ukraine as Biden and Putin talk approaches…
More…