Biden Seeks to Press Putin on Ukraine Without Sparking Wider War
- Postponed ICBM test highlights policy of avoiding provocations
- There has to be ‘some kind of release valve,’ analyst says
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The steady drumbeat of retaliatory actions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine comes with some U.S. signaling that it doesn’t want the crisis to spiral out of control.
The U.S. and European allies have led efforts to sanction Russian banks, target politically connected oligarchs, bolster Ukraine’s defenses and rally international opinion against President Vladimir Putin’s war. But the Biden administration has also held off in responding to what it sees as overt provocations from Moscow meant to inflame tensions further.