From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Biden heads to Europe to bolster West’s unity, toughen Russia sanctions
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US President Joe Biden leaves today for Europe on a mission to bolster Western unity, ramp up unprecedented sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and attempt to upset the post-Cold War balance of power.
The conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin is redefining Biden’s 14-month old presidency as he pivots from domestic woes to leading the transatlantic alliance in the most serious crisis in Europe for decades.
After four years of Donald Trump, who treated European nations as economic competitors and scorned the traditional US role as senior partner in NATO, Biden is putting the accent on unity. At back-to-back summits in Brussels on Thursday, he’ll be pushing for more.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan tells reporters that Biden will seek to “reinforce the incredible unity we built with allies and partners.”
Sullivan also says that economic sanctions, imposed by a global network of Western allies to cripple Russia’s finances, will be deepened.
A further package will be “rolled out in conjunction with our allies on Thursday,” Sullivan says. He gives no details, other than to say the package “will focus not just on adding new sanctions but on ensuring that there is joint effort to crack down on evasion on sanctions.”
On Thursday, Biden will attend summits with NATO, the G7 group and the European Council. He flies Friday to Poland, which neighbors Ukraine and is now the frontline in what some call a new Cold War, and on Saturday he meets Polish President Andrzej Duda.
The intense diplomacy marks a crucial moment in the dangerous standoff with Putin, who seeks to force Ukraine from its pro-Western path. After a month of fighting, Russian forces have laid waste to swaths of the country but have made few significant military gains, while Ukraine continues to resist.
The Times of Israel Community.