Ukraine Crisis: Putin Should Remember That Biden Is a Cold Warrior

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The Russian president is forcing the United States to show tenacity in a crisis, a dynamic closely watched by China as the confrontation may exact a high economic price from Moscow

Vladimir Putin is upping the ante on Ukraine. He believes he’s exercising what is called “escalation dominance” – the ability to escalate a crisis in all dimensions: keeping your intentions cloaked while controlling the timetable, deployment of forces and intensity.

What Putin may be miscalculating is how the Ukraine crisis may unravel, America’s determination and the possible consequences.

It’s true that in one crisis, Putin has rekindled an era of superpower conflict, and in this respect he has repositioned himself and Russia in the center of geopolitical attention. Less clear is what Russia gains from this.

Putin, who was spoiled by the easy comfort zone of dealing with an admiring and clueless President Donald Trump, may be forgetting one thing: Joe Biden’s formative years were the Cold War. Trump may have liked Putin, but Biden distrusts Russia profoundly.

Full Article: https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/ukraine-crisis-putin-should-remember-that-biden-is-a-cold-warrior-1.10544890


I believe this article is spot on. Putin is underestimating the resolve of President Biden and the entire free world. The Russians have also downplayed the threat of sanctions, but the proposed sanctions I have read about will be absolutely devastating to Russia, as the article points out. I believe Russia will be isolated internationally while a devastating economic depression will ravage the country in every corner.

Russia's leaders are also underestimating Ukrainian resolve to defend their homeland. If the Russian military invades Ukraine again, they will be met with the ferocity the likes not even seen in rabid mad dogs. The Russian military will become bogged down in conflict and thousands of body bags will be sent home to Moscow and weeping mothers.

I will never understand what this man (Putin) thinks he will accomplish with such a foolish move. So I will stop trying to understand because it will drive me crazy if I don't.

[SheltieLover]

1. Joe is wise to profoundly distrust putin

Pos bully!

[Thunderbeast]

2. The key to isolating Putin lies in drastic reductions in oil and gas exports.

Europe may need to adjust their economies faster than planned. Russia's growing leverage over western Europe's energy markets will complicate any non-kinetic responses to aggression.

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10. Definitely!

[Walleye]

3. I can just hear Joe telling Putin, "you just try it, Buster"

[captain queeg]

4. I don't think Putin realizes how difficult the invasion would be

Ukraine is a large country with a long border with Russia. And a long tradition of partisan warfare. They might not be able to stop an invasion directly, but there will be no surrender, and it’ll drag on and spill over into Russian soil. I don’t think the benefits to Russia will outweigh the consequences and I don’t think it’ll go over well with the russian population. It just doesn’t seem like a good idea, but maybe I’m missing something.

[blue-wave]

11. "and it'll drag on and spill over into Russian soil."

I've been thinking the same thing. The Ukrainians most likely have targets inside Russia they will hit.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

5. Five presidents since the collapse of the Soviet Union...

And only two of them, Obama and Biden seem to have recognized Putin as the threat to world security and order he actually is.

[wnylib]

7. And one should-have-been, President Hillary Clinton.

Hillary's candidacy brought Putin and Republicans together to support Trump against her because Rs and Putin feared her.

When Russia was communist, Rs hated them. But now that they are ruled by an anti democracy oligarchy, Republicans love Russia. Trump is not the only one who idolizes today's Russian system. Russia has the kind of government that Republicans drool over.

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13. Most definitely!!

[The Unmitigated Gall]

17. Yes. She sure scared the bejeezus out of the Polonium Prince.

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12. +1,000

[karynnj]

16. Is there a reason you excluded Bill Clinton?

[marie999]

6. Is anyone looking at the other side?

If Ukraine joins NATO, NATO will have an almost 2,700-mile border with Belarus and Russia. Suppose all of Latin America, except for Mexico, with the number 2 military including nuclear weapons was an enemy of the U.S. and Mexico wanted to join the other Latin American countries. What would the U.S. do? What did the U.S. do when there were Russian missiles in Cuba, and Russian officers and Cuban workers were extending the runways in Grenada so that Russian TU-95 bombers with nuclear capabilities could be placed there? There are already 5 NATO countries that have U.S. nuclear weapons.

[YP_Yooper]

8. Is anyone looking at the other side?

No.

I've spent time in the Ukraine, and anti-war, and if you even suggest there is another view here, you're pro-putin. Sad, really, because it would make the neocons so friggin proud, and McCain smiling from the grave :/

[marie999]

9. You do not know me, and you do not have the right to call me pro-Putin.

Of course, I look at the other side, that is what I was trained to do. Of course our government especially our military has to look at the other side. How are they supposed to know what to do if they don't? I think the best answer right now is for Ukraine to remain neutral. A treaty that Ukraine will not join NATO with Russia agreeing to leave Ukraine alone and pull back its troops. Unless both sides agree to it, there will be a war. Pravda has been covering the Ukraine issue. Some of their articles are facts, but I have been reading more propaganda to get the Russian people ready for war. Izvestia is reprinting articles such as the one on the hundredth anniversary of the invasion of Russia by the U.S. Pravda reprinting article about Churchill and "Operation Unthinkable" a military plan to invade Russia at the end of WWII. Russia is getting ready for a war. It is planning to deploy troops and anti-aircraft missile battalions to Belarus in February.

[YP_Yooper]

14. You do not know me, and you do not have the right to call me pro-Putin

?
I'm confused and apologize. I'm using "you" in a general plural sense, not you specifically because I've been accused of being pro-Putin simply for looking at the issue from other perspectives. My point is that I've seen on DU frequently that unless one agrees that anything against Russia is good - up to and including war - you're good. Otherwise, you're "Boris".
I agree with your assessment, if anything, because NATO at least tacitly agreed not to expand that far. Ukraine has far more to gain in being close to Russia not just being the "bread basket" of the region, but the energy economy - rather than joining NATO and the military presence expected right on the Russian border.

[marie999]

15. Thank you.

[marie999]

18. English needs a singular and a plural you.

[YP_Yooper]

19. I appreciate your understanding

and having another person to offer me a new rabbit hole I can spend time on reading about in understanding the world

[marie999]

20. I am watching 1984 right now and this part is about war.

Search "THe war was not meant to be won." read it down to "but to keep the very structure of society intact". If you haven't read the book or seen the movie watch the movie made in 1985 starring John Hurt and Richard Burton. John Hurt's part seems very similar to Fox News.

[YP_Yooper]

21. It's cold out, so sounds like a good idea.

It's been a long while, but I think I'll watch it this evening. Again, TY