Biden has effectively set a red line for Putin

President Biden’s two-hour video call on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the administration’s readout and comments from national security adviser Jake Sullivan, leaves no wiggle room in the event that Russia further invades Ukraine. In emphasizing the Biden administration’s consultation with allies and preplanning — distinct from the lack of preparation for when Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014 — Biden has effectively drawn a red line. This marks the first serious challenge to our illiberal foe in more than five years.

In a noteworthy move, Sullivan said that in addition to crippling sanctions, many of our partners in Eastern Europe would seek “additional capabilities and potentially additional deployments.” Sullivan added, “We’ll be looking to respond positively to those things in the event that there is a further incursion into Ukraine.”