Washington and the West struggle for a way forward with Putin’s Russia

Washington and the West struggle for a way forward with Putin’s Russia Moments after welcoming Americans recently released from Russian prisons, President Joe Biden was asked if he had a message for Vladimir Putin. His response was brief: "Stop." But whether Biden's directive referred to imprisoning innocent foreigners, persecuting Russian dissidents, invading Ukraine, violating international law, or undermining the U.S.-led global order, Putin has shown no signs of retreat. This presents a pressing dilemma for Western leaders, including Biden and his potential successor, regarding how to address Putin's ongoing aggression.

Across the Atlantic, uncertainty lingers over how to counter Putin's provocations without igniting direct conflict with the leader of the world's largest nuclear arsenal. This concern, combined with the lack of a clear strategy from even the most seasoned Western diplomats, has prompted renewed calls for a Cold War-style approach to containment. This strategy involves limiting engagement with Moscow to only essential matters while bolstering military capabilities in Europe and Ukraine in preparation for potential conflict. Current U.S. policy, according to Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former top Russia adviser under President Trump, is more reactive than proactive. "We haven’t had a holistic approach," Hill noted, highlighting the absence of a comprehensive, long-term strategy for dealing with Russia. As Putin transforms Russian society into a militarized state primed to confront the West for years to come—overhauling the education system, monopolizing cultural narratives, redefining gender roles, and indoctrinating youth—he continues to frame a potential victory in Ukraine as a broader defeat for American global dominance. Read more visit the link: While Washington has supplied military aid and financial support to Ukraine, it has yet to outline a clear, long-term approach for managing a resurgent Russia. For over two decades, U.S. presidents have oscillated between attempts to foster friendship with Russia and writing off the nation, but Putin’s actions suggest that a more definitive strategy is needed moving forward.