The Russian sanctions announced by President Joe Biden on Tuesday made clear the White House is still grappling with the same question he mused about at his Jan. 19 news conference: What is the appropriate Western response to “something significantly short of a significant invasion — or not even significant, just major military forces coming across”? Tuesday’s sanctions were more of an amuse-bouche than the full menu that’s been hinted at for weeks.
The Russian sanctions announced by President Joe Biden on Tuesday made clear the White House is still grappling with the same question he mused about at his Jan. 19 news conference: What is the appropriate Western response to “something significantly short of a significant invasion — or not even significant, just major military forces coming across”? Tuesday’s sanctions were more of an amuse-bouche than the full menu that’s been hinted at for weeks.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.