Biden Adopts Play-It-Cool Strategy With Putin

President Biden is taking a play-it-cool strategy with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

When Putin called for putting Russia’s deterrence forces — which includes nuclear weapons — on high alert, Biden chose not to respond in kind, avoiding any action Russia might portray as a show of aggression against it.

He has also given his European counterparts the space they need on sanctions announcements, including those related to SWIFT, the main system for global transactions, instead of suggesting or showing that they’re following his lead.

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“Biden has handled this well,” said Richard Fontaine, the chief executive officer of the Center for a New American Security who served as a foreign policy adviser to the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

“From the beginning, assisting Ukraine, conducting diplomacy with Russia, and unifying NATO was going to be no easy task. The administration did so, and its ability to marshal a global response to Putin’s aggression on a short timeline is deeply impressive.”

Almost more importantly, Fontaine added, “Biden has also reacted soberly to the increasing danger by, for example, not responding to Putin’s nuclear saber rattling.”

Read the full story and more from The Hill.