This just in from the Deep State:
4/15/21
WSJ Editorial
China poses the greatest threat to U.S. national security, but that doesn’t mean other adversaries should get a pass. Credit then to President Biden for imposing costs on Russia over a wide range of malfeasance.
Sanctions are often a half-measure, but some of the retaliatory actions announced by the Biden Administration Thursday will have serious consequences. Most important is a ban on American financial institutions purchasing new bonds from the Russian finance ministry, central bank or sovereign-wealth fund after June 14. The executive order also allows the U.S. government to sanction any part of the Russian economy, which will make U.S. firms think twice about doing business in Russia. The weakness of the plan is that U.S. traders will still be able to access Russian debt in secondary bond markets.
Russia summoned the U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, and a foreign ministry spokeswoman warned, “Washington must realize that the degradation of bilateral relations will have to be paid for. The responsibility for what is happening lies entirely with the United States.” This is a predictable tactic: Attack the U.S.—then blame the victim for retaliating.
In reality this is well-deserved and long overdue. The White House said the new sanctions are a response to Russia’s election interference, cyber espionage, transnational corruption, targeting dissidents abroad, and violation of other countries’ sovereignty.
The U.S. also announced the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats—a polite way of saying spies. Dozens of entities, individuals and companies were sanctioned over their election interference and cyber attacks. The Administration formally blamed Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service for the SolarWinds hack of U.S. government and corporate computer systems and has hinted that other actions were taken privately.
The European Union and NATO issued statements expressing solidarity with the U.S., but the Continent could be doing more. Mr. Biden opposes the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany but hasn’t convinced Berlin to abandon the project. Deepening European dependence on Russian energy was always a bad idea, but
Vladimir Putin’s recent behavior makes Berlin’s intransigence hard to explain.
Mr. Biden said in remarks Thursday evening that he’s opposed Nord Stream 2 “for a long time,” as President Trump also did, and that the issue remains “in play.”
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was arrested on trumped-up charges upon his return to Russia in January, has seen his health deteriorate in a Russian penal colony. Meantime, Russia has deployed tens of thousands of troops and heavy weapons near Ukraine, and its intentions remain unclear.
On a Tuesday call with Mr. Putin, the President suggested a summit meeting in a third country in the coming months. The Kremlin said the sanctions could blow up Mr. Biden’s offer, but don’t count on it. As Russia’s economy stumbles along, Mr. Putin needs a summit more than Washington does. Mr. Biden shouldn’t accept a meeting absent a change of behavior from his Russian counterpart.
The world would be a safer place if Washington and Moscow got along.
A natural place to start would be cooperation against Islamic extremism or Chinese adventurism. But getting to that point will require Russia to act like a responsible country.
