Russia = Ukraine….
China = Taiwan ….
Opposite sides of the planet….
An American President IS required to stand firm and supportive for the countries in the bullseye’s…
Joe Biden is in Asia right now to trying to show support for the two mentioned above and others standing on the sidelines…..
It IS a balancing act not seen since WWII….
White House officials love saying the Biden administration can walk and chew gum at the same time. President Joe Biden’s trip to Asia, which begins Friday, is a chance for him to prove it.
Biden’s trip to Tokyo and Seoul, which runs through Tuesday, will happen against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The White House is seeking to prove to allies and adversaries that the United States can rally the world against a Russian invasion while working to confront China’s long-term strategic challenge.
The balancing act began before the trip even started. On Thursday, Biden met with the Finnish and Swedish leaders at the White House to discuss their bids to join NATO an hour before boarding Air Force One for his first trip to Asia as president. The president was en route to Seoul when the Senate passed $40 billion in aid for Ukraine, sending it to his desk for signature.
“It will show in living color that the United States can at once lead the free world in responding to Russia’s war in Ukraine and at the same time chart a course for effective, principled American leadership and engagement in a region that will define much of the future of the 21st century,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Wednesday.
On the trip, Biden will meet with Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was just sworn in last week, and later with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kushia, who took office in October, Sullivan said. He’ll also join a meeting of the Quadwith leaders from Japan, India, and Australia…..
Taiwan/Ukraine connections….
U.S. officials are pushing their Taiwanese counterparts with new urgency to look to Ukraine’s success in fending off Russian forces as a blueprint for countering a Chinese attack, former and current U.S. officials tell POLITICO.
But there is little doubt that China is also learning from Russia’s botched invasion as it looks to reunify Taiwan with the mainland — with or without force. Experts say Beijing is likely adjusting its plans for the island to reflect and improve on Russia’s failures….
image… Asiatimes.com