WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden has been quickly thrown into a highly balanced act with Russia as he tries to toughen his administration’s stance against Vladimir Putin while preserving the place for diplomacy in a post-Donald Trump era.
Surely the relationship will be different from the one Putin enjoyed with Trump, who was in love with the Russian leader and asked for his approval, questioning Russian interference in the 2016 election and involvement in a massive hack of the year past. Despite this conciliatory approach, his administration took a hard line against Moscow, imposing sanctions on the country, Russian companies and business leaders on issues ranging from Ukraine to power supply and attacks on dissidents.
Unlike his immediate predecessors, Biden has not held out hope of a “re-establishment” of relations with Russia, but has indicated that he wants to manage the differences with the former Cold War enemy without necessarily resolving them or improve ties. And, with an intense national agenda and decisions approaching Iran and China, it is not looking for a direct confrontation with Russia.
When Biden first speaks with Putin, he is expected to call on Putin for the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny and the weekend crackdown on his supporters, to raise charges that Russian security services were behind the recent massive cybersecurity violation and press allegations that Russia offered Taliban rewards for killing American troops in Afghanistan.
At the same time, Biden must keep in mind his own proposal to extend for five years the last remaining treaty on arms control between the United States and Russia, which would expire in early February.
On Monday, Biden told reporters he had not yet decided how to respond to Navalny’s situation, but expressed hope that the United States and Russia could cooperate in areas where they both see benefits.
“I find that we can both operate in the mutual interest of our countries as a new START agreement and make it clear to Russia that we are very concerned about their behavior, whether it’s Navalny or SolarWinds or reports of rewards in any of the Americans in Afghanistan, ”Biden said.
Biden has already ordered the intelligence community to launch reviews of each of these problems, according to the White House, which on Friday said the U.S. proposal to expand New START would be accompanied by a calculation on the other issues.
This approach has received the approval of some former American diplomats who have dealt with Russia and look forward to it as the Biden team, including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his candidate to be the No. 3 in the Department. of state, Victoria Nuland, define the contours of Russian politics.
Nuland, in particular, is insulted by Putin and his aides for their support of pro-Western politicians in Ukraine and occupies Europe’s portfolio in the State Department during President Barack Obama’s second term. She and Sullivan are said to share views on how to deal with Moscow, taking a hard line on Russia’s human rights and intentions in Eastern and Central Europe, while keeping an open channel in the Kremlin on other issues.
But his initial position is complicated, they say, especially because of Putin’s experience in dealing with Trump, who often downplays his own administration’s falconry stance on Russia trying to welcome the Russian leader.
“It’s difficult, but it’s doable,” said Daniel Fried, the U.S. ambassador to Poland and deputy secretary of state for European affairs in the George W. Bush administration. “They’ll have to find out on the fly, but it’s important to chase the new START without hesitation and back Navalny’s arrest and other no-fault issues.”
“They have to do both and not let Putin tell them he won’t accept New START unless they leave Navalny, SolarWinds or Afghanistan,” said Fried, who is now on the Atlantic Council. “You have to step back and you can’t let Putin set the conditions.”
However, Putin may be cautious given his uncertain domestic position following pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 cities over the weekend.
Biden’s team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on Navalny supporters over the weekend in which more than 3,700 people were arrested at protests across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow.
Navalny, an anti-corruption activist and Putin’s fiercest critic, was arrested on January 17 on his way back to Russia from Germany, where he had spent nearly five months recovering from nervous breakdown. blame the Kremlin. Russian authorities deny the allegations.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and State Department spokesman Ned Price have called for the immediate and unconditional release of Navalny, as well as those detained in the crackdown.