Biden Risks World War with Putin as US Continues to Supply Ukraine with Weapons

Despite warning that arms sales to Ukraine would lead to a world war, US President Joe Biden continues to challenge Russian leader Vladimir Putin, a strategy that brings both risk and reward.

Source: The Washington Post citing US government sources

Details: As US officials explain, a key reason for ignoring Putin’s threats is the fact that the Russian president is not sticking to his promises to punish the West for providing weapons to Ukraine. His bluff assured American and European leaders that they could continue to do so without serious repercussions.

U.S. officials say managing escalation risks remains one of the most difficult aspects of the war for Biden and his foreign policy advisers. When deciding which new weapons systems to provide to Ukraine, they focus on four key factors:

1. Do they need it?
2. Can they use it?
3. Do we have it?
4. What will be the response of Russia?

A State Department official said the lack of a response from Russia affected the risk calculation of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, a key Biden confidant who is urging the administration and US allies to do more to support Ukraine.

A White House source said that, like Blinken, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan also believes that the benefits of providing Ukraine with more powerful weapons outweigh the risks of escalation, and is actively cooperating with European allies to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.

According to US officials, a possible explanation for Putin’s reluctance to strike at the West is the deteriorating condition of the Russian military.

The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, draws attention to the fact that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost up to 250,000 dead and wounded, and this is a staggering loss for any conflict. And Putin replaced them with reservists who have poor discipline, they are poorly trained and poorly equipped.

Literally article summary: “Indisputably, the Biden administration’s willingness to cross Putin’s red lines has strengthened Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and reclaim territories to the east and south. However, it remains unclear whether Putin will continue to allow the West to ignore his threats with impunity.”