In a test of his power to convince sanction-weary nations to impose new sanctions on Moscow, President Joe Biden will convene with allied heads of state on Thursday.
However, Biden provided few indications about how he planned to gather international leaders for a day of back-to-back restricted discussions.
The Biden administration will not only announce new sanctions but will also announce ways they intend to crack down on those who help evade sanctions
Zelenskyy is expected to address those assembled for a NATO meeting on Thursday https://t.co/eixaXEaq7d
— Tim Mak (@timkmak) March 23, 2022
Some European leaders aren’t ready to deal with the economic fallout from sanctions on Moscow’s energy supplies, a major source of money for Putin’s government.
With the White House issuing five-alarm warnings about Putin’s increased chemical threats, the fractures show how far some nations are willing to punish Russia for sending soldiers into Ukraine.
Moscow’s strikes on civilians may make it tougher for some to give Russia a pass, notwithstanding the president’s statement.
Dependence on Russia
The Russian economy’s “golden goose” has been spared from western sanctions, according to Volodymyr Dubovyk, an affiliate professor of international affairs at Odesa’s Mechnikov National University.
In an interview with Fox Business on Wednesday, Ukrainian lawmaker Kira Rudik stated, while her country was confident in its ground tactics against Russia, city bombardment increased, with two to three buildings being damaged daily.
The president backed away from urging Germany and others to stop using Russian gas, opting for unilateral action, instead of concerted action.
Critics think the months-long period will be too late to aid Ukraine. During a meeting on Monday, European leaders disagreed about punishing the industry. Germany said the EU was too dependent on Russian fuel to agree.
Observers predict Biden would make concrete vows to ravage the Russian economy if he helped unify divided politicians.
In Washington, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged Biden to speed up US anti-Moscow actions and avoid bureaucratic delays.
Reducing European reliance on Russian petroleum lines is a goal for Biden and his allies, according to Biden’s national security adviser. NATO and European allies will weigh other complex problems.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering applying for neutrality, Dubovyk stated. It’s a harsh pill to swallow, but it won’t affect how Ukraine controls its territorial security, according to Dubovyk.
The French President
On Wednesday, Zelensky criticized a few significant French corporations supporting Putin’s war by refusing to leave Russia.
The president told lawmakers that French President Emmanuel Macron had shown true leadership, recommending stronger ties with someone who frequently acted as a go-between with Putin throughout the crisis.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine made a plea for help to President Biden and members of the NATO alliance as they met for talks in Brussels, telling them via video link that his country was trapped “in the ‘gray zone’ between the West and Russia.”https://t.co/C8xsp6O6If
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 24, 2022
Thursday’s debate will likely revolve around the alliance’s willingness to back Ukrainian forces as Russia continues to attack civilian targets.
While Biden and his senior advisers have branded Putin a war criminal, the president said he does not want to risk a military conflict with Russia.
This led the Biden administration to say no to Poland’s offer to give Ukraine fighter planes without first giving them to a US airbase in Germany.
When asked if the Pentagon’s decision had changed, Sullivan said no. Despite a second Polish proposal to send peacekeeping soldiers to Ukraine, he said the president opposed sending US troops there.
This will be discussed, but the view on the deployment of US military forces in Ukraine has been clear from the start and remains unchanged.
After the U.S. agreed to participate in the plan, Blinken’s “green light” for Poland to act vanished.
