That which was once forbidden is now strategy when it comes to Russia.
Although Biden has made tangible progress in forging a broad consensus on China, he has only just begun to tackle the hardest element of this policy: convincing Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country has a national-security interest in distancing itself from China. Nonetheless, getting Putin on board is now clearly a high priority.
I believe Trump had some success in getting Europeans to reject Chinese influence. But good for Biden to push that further, if the Europeans follow through.
But the Russia situation is mind-boggling. I'm so old that I remember that the perfectly natural objective of splitting Russia away from China was considered by Democrats to be proof of presidential collusion.
But now that Biden is president? Well, it's a "Nixon moment". Wow.
But as I've warned, Russia needs American friendship more than America needs Russian friendship.
So we should not offer Russia concessions--the go-to diplomatic tool of Democrats who believe every (foreign) foe or even enemy is just a friend we haven't made yet--to do what they should do to protect themselves from for-now dormant Chinese claims on Russian territory.
