President Joe Biden delivered a robust speech on Tuesday, warning Russia against its looming reinvasion of Ukraine.
The president pledged severe economic consequences for Russia and that the Russian-German Nord Stream II energy pipeline would not operate if Russian President Vladimir Putin attacks. While Biden implored Putin to choose the path of peace, he made clear that Russian attacks on U.S. interests would not go unanswered.
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“I’ve been clear that if Russia targets Americans in Ukraine, we will respond forcefully,” Biden said. “And if Russia attacks the United States or our allies through asymmetric means like disruptive cyberattacks against our companies or critical infrastructure, we are prepared to respond.”
This is an important clarification to the president’s far more hesitant stance last weekend because the U.S. intelligence community believes Russia will unleash its FSB supervised ransomware and other cyberattack capabilities against the U.S. if Washington imposes new sanctions on Moscow. Biden has now put Putin on notice that pursuing such aggression might, for example, risk the lights going out in major Russian cities and the Kremlin’s oligarchs finding their bank accounts emptied (to be clear, the U.S. can do both things).
The speech was also a rallying cry for American values.
“This is about more than Russia and Ukraine,” Biden said. “It’s about standing for what we believe in, for the future we want for our world, for liberty … For the right of people to determine their own futures.”
But, Biden added, “the defense of freedom is never without cost.”
He noted this is a cause that “unites Republicans and Democrats,” praising leaders of both parties in Congress for their support of the “most basic, most bipartisan, most American values.” Biden rightly concluded that “if we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we will surely pay a steeper price tomorrow.”
Biden was also clear about something else: the American commitment to defend its treaty allies.
“Make no mistake,” Biden said. “The United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power. An attack against one NATO country is an attack against all of us. And the United States commitment to [mutual defense commitments] is sacrosanct.”
Russia may not fear the combined arms forces of Ukraine, but its commanders know full well the risks of engagement with the U.S. military.
There was one downside to the speech, although it was not Biden’s fault.
While it’s tempting to believe Biden’s claim that NATO is “as unified and determined as it has ever been,” it’s also untrue. True, allies such as Britain, Poland, and the Baltic member states stand ready to defend allied interests. But others such as France, Germany, and Italy are adopting a more cautious stance.
They are also yet to bolster military support to the alliance’s eastern flank sufficiently. Indeed, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz further underlined his worthlessness as an ally on Tuesday.
Still, credit where credit is due: Biden delivered on Tuesday.
