Putin’s War puts the West under Pressure

US President Joe Biden has come to Europe to join Western leaders in a marathon of summits. The main question: How to defeat Russia?

• Russia’s attack on neighbouring Ukraine has been going on for one month – much longer than many analysts initially expected. Under their president Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine has proven resilient.
• Now the US and their European allies are struggling to establish how to most effectively support the besieged country. One question is which kind of weapons should be supplied and by whom.
• US President Biden has come to Europe to join other Western leaders in a row of political summits. He will take part in Nato and G7 Meetings and even in an EU summit – a first for a US president.
• Biden is expected to discuss the strengthening of Nato’s Eastern border after Russia has openly threatened to attack Poland and other members of the alliance. New troop deployments are on their way.
• The US will also increase pressure on their Western allies to enact an embargo against oil, coal and gas imports from Russia. The goal is to deprive the Kremlin of hard currency revenues.
• Western experts are closely following events in the higher echelons of power in Moscow – looking for defectors. A prominent Kremlin advisor – Anatoly Chubais – has already left the country.