Is US President Biden's Fight With Russia Ill-Conceived?

 

Stephen Bryen, Asia Times: Biden picks an ill-conceived fight with Russia  

Russia's military build-up on the Ukrainian border threatens a war that will be hard to stop once it starts  

What does Russia want from Ukraine? 

This is one of the vital questions surrounding Russia’s growing buildup of military hardware and troops, both facing eastern Ukraine and from Crimea. 

No one seems to be asking Putin any questions, but rather are just demanding that he pull his troops back and relieve the military pressure. Nor is it clear if anyone is in a position to ask that question. 

The Biden administration has dug itself into a hole by slapping on new sanctions and kicking out Russian diplomats. The Russians have tried to do tit for tat. 

So, too, have the Europeans got themselves into a tight mess. German Chancellor Angela Merkle has called for the Russians to pull out their troops, the EU is upset and the British and French are not far behind in offering condemnations. 

None of this sets the stage for any meaningful dialogue. Even President Joe Biden, who called President Putin and suggested a summit meeting, has badly harmed his effort by slapping on more sanctions and crying fire.  

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WNU Editor: You would think that in the middle of a pandemic that countries would set aside their differences and find some common ground to help each other. In the case of Russia and the U.S.. That is clearly not happening.