The American people want Biden to do more, but Biden's running into the political and practical limits of what he can do. He's already sanctioned the Russian economy back to the 1990s, and dozens of US-based businesses are pulling out over there over the reputational and sanctions risk of operating inside Russia. And Biden's been clear there's two things that Zelensky has asked for that he won't do. One is facilitate the transfer of Soviet-era jets from Poland to Ukraine. And the second is imposing a no-fly zone, which Biden said will involve a direct military clash with Russia, something he said would be the equivalent of World War III.
When it comes to the no-fly zone, the American people agree with the president. A poll earlier this week showed that only 23% of Americans want to see a no-fly zone when it's explained to them that it would involve shooting down of Russian planes. And while the American people generally support more help for Ukraine, they're against the deployment of US troops. You should, however, expect to hear more about these Polish plans.
Biden's critics have said he's letting Putin dictate the terms of US engagement in Ukraine. And Senator Lindsey Graham accused him of folding like a cheap suit once the Biden administration figured out that Putin would see the planes as an escalation. So the US is in a bind. They want to help Ukraine, but they are afraid of Putin, who continues to press the war in the face of near universal international condemnation.
Keep reading...
Show less
