Russia's expanding invasion of Ukraine has opened a new and perilous chapter inJoe Biden'spresidency, testing his aspirations to defend democracy ona globallevel andthrusting him into a long-term struggle to restore European security.
It's a far different trajectory than he imagined when his administration began last year with the goals of countering China's growing influence in the world and reinvesting at home as the United States tried to turn the page onadeadlypandemic. Biden talked about forging a "stable and predictable" relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adescription that implied America's focus could then be directed toward other, more pressing challenges.
Now he is confronted with the outbreak of the worst fighting in Europe since World War II. Although US forces are not directly involved, the conflict is testing the limits of American power and Biden's campaign assurances that he was well positionedto leadthe country on the international stage.
"We stand up to bullies," Biden said on Thursday at the White House. "We stand up for freedom. This is who we are." His efforts to preventthe invasion - by threatening sanctions and exposing Russian subterfuge - were not successful. The grim scenario has forced Biden to shift toward complex plans to economically punish Russia and demonstrate the danger of an authoritarian government overturning a neighbouring democracy.
"This is a fight that could take years," said Timothy Naftali, a historian at New York University who has studied the U.S. presidency and the Soviet Union. "The future of Europe depends on the Kremlin paying a price for war crimes. If Putin gets away with this, what country is next?" Bidenannouncedadditional sanctions Thursday, targeting Russian banks by freezing assets held in Western nations and limiting Moscow's ability to import crucial technology such as semiconductors.
The struggle will test American patience for playing a major role in foreign conflicts, even if US troops are not themselves fighting. Biden already faces sagging approval ratings, and his domestic agenda, including education initiatives and climate programmes, has stalled. Now the economic ripple effects from sanctions could contribute to inflation and higher gas prices at a time when the Democrats already are seen as likely to lose control of Congress in November's midterm elections.
Naftali said Biden, a politician withdeepforeignpolicyexperience who has embraced the traditional American role of anchoring the trans-Atlantic alliance, is "almost uniquely qualified to provide that leadership." "It recasts his presidency," he said. "And this gives him opportunity to demonstrate the arguments that you need a president who understands alliances and realises you can't go it alone."
