Far away from the US, in the heart of Eastern Europe, a major conflict appears poised to pop off.
Russia, long-acting as the world’s bully, is up to no good in neighboring Ukraine, just a few years after annexing Crimea. Given the evidence that we’ve seen via satellite imagery and the boots on the ground, there appears to be no doubt that the Russians are looking to invade Ukraine, potentially kicking off a major conflict.
US President Joe Biden has repeatedly warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, about such actions.
Putin is now responding in kind, and it doesn’t look good for the hope of peace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his annual State of the Nation speech, warned on Wednesday against provoking his country, promising a swift retaliation against anyone who crossed “red lines.“
Moscow will respond “harshly,” “quickly” and “asymmetrically” to foreign provocations, Putin told an audience of Russia’s top officials and lawmakers, adding that he “hoped” no foreign actor would cross Russia’s “red lines,” according to a Reuters translation.
Putin also touted the country’s planned investment in expanded military education, hypersonic weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles — while insisting simultaneously that Russia wants peace and arms control agreements.
Biden has already imposed several sanctions on Russia during the first 100 days of his first term, signaling a far different approach to dealing with Putin’s follies than his predecessor had.
