WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden has been quickly thrown into a balancing act with Russia as he seeks to sharpen his administration’s stance against Vladimir Putin while leaving room for diplomacy in a post-Donald Trump era.
The relationship will certainly be different from Putin’s relationship with Trump, who was in love with the Russian leader and sought his approval, calling into question Russian interference in the 2016 election and involvement in a massive hack last year. Despite this conciliatory approach, his government took a hardline against Moscow, imposing sanctions on the country, Russian companies and business leaders on issues ranging from Ukraine to energy supplies and attacks on dissidents.
Unlike his immediate predecessors, Biden has no hope of a “reset” in relations with Russia, but instead indicates that he wants to manage disagreements with the former enemy of the Cold War without necessarily resolving them or cutting ties. improve. And with a tough domestic agenda and impending decisions about Iran and China, a direct confrontation with Russia is not something he’s looking for.
When Biden speaks with Putin for the first time, he is expected to call on Putin for the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny and the weekend crackdown on his supporters, making allegations that Russian security forces were behind the recent massive cybersecurity breach, and press allegations that Russia Taliban Bounties to Kill US Troops in Afghanistan.
At the same time, Biden should be aware of his own proposal to extend the last remaining arms control treaty between the US and Russia, which expires in early February, for five years.
On Monday, Biden told reporters he had not yet decided how to respond to the Navalny situation, but expressed hope that the US and Russia could work together in areas where both see benefits.
“I find that we can operate in the mutual self-interest of our countries as well as a New START agreement and make it clear to Russia that we are deeply concerned about their behavior, be it Navalny, whether it is SolarWinds or bounty reports. in the lead. of Americans in Afghanistan, ”Biden said.
Biden has already ordered the intelligence community to launch assessments of each of these issues, the White House said Friday that the US proposal to extend New START would involve a settlement on the other issues.
That approach has gained the endorsement of some former US diplomats who have dealt with Russia and look forward to seeing Biden’s team, including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his State Department No. 3 nominee Victoria Nuland, contours of Russia policy.
Nuland, in particular, is taunted by Putin and his aides for her support of pro-Western politicians in Ukraine and held the Europe portfolio at the State Department during President Barack Obama’s second term. She and Sullivan would share their views on how to deal with Moscow, crack down on Russia’s human rights and intentions in Eastern and Central Europe, while keeping an open channel to the Kremlin on other matters.
But their starting position is complicated, they say, especially given Putin’s experience dealing with Trump, who often undermines his own administration’s aggressive stance on Russia by trying to deal privately with the Russian leader.
“It’s hard, but it’s doable,” said Daniel Fried, a US ambassador to Poland and deputy secretary of state for European affairs in the George W. Bush administration. “They will have to figure this out on the spot, but it’s important to pursue New START without hesitation and to push back the arrest of Navalny and other issues without guilt.”
“They should do both and not let Putin tell you he won’t accept a new START unless they drop Navalny, SolarWinds or Afghanistan,” said Fried, who is now a member of the Atlantic Council. “You have to push back and you can’t let Putin set the terms.”
However, Putin may be cautious given his uncertain domestic position in the wake of the pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 cities this weekend.
Biden’s team has already reacted vigorously to the weekend crackdown on Navalny supporters, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested in demonstrations across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow.
Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner and Putin’s harshest critic, was arrested January 17 as he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had recovered nearly five months from a nerve poisoning he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities deny the charges.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki and State Department spokesman Ned Price have pushed for the immediate and unconditional release of Navalny, as well as those detained during the crackdown.