But after a global response that Russian President Vladimir Putin was about to start another war, there have been reports that Putin withdrew military soldiers, claiming that there was never any intention to start a war and that they were just doing military training exercises.
President Joe Biden said that U.S. intelligence hasn't confirmed the withdrawal, and the United States and NATO are still standing with Ukraine in the event Russia decides to move against the country. There is also a concern that Russia could launch a cyberattack that could bring down the power in the country or others.
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Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, Julia Ioffe, of Puck News, characterized the past two months of Putin aggression as a success for President Joe Biden.
"Biden's strategy is starting to look like a pretty good one," she wrote. "What's better than tricking the guy who threatened war into threatening peace? I do wonder, does Biden get credit if this new approach succeeds?" she asked in her piece.
CNN host John Berman agreed with the characterization, saying that each day has been about diplomacy from the administration while Putin advances and Russian state media reports the buildup of troops along the Ukraine border.
"I mean, the Biden White House doesn't have that many options," Ioffe explained. "It is actually a pretty weak hand that they're playing pretty deftly. They said no American troops are going to be involved. So, that's off the table. Sanctions are on the table, but at this point, Putin just sees them as the cost of doing business. As I wrote, he sees it more as overhead than a deterrent. And so what the Biden administration is left with is, you know, basically informational warfare. And unmasking Russian plans before the Russians can implement them and taking away the element of surprise, and I think it is working pretty well."
She noted that such action bought time for diplomatic processes to work, which she said was what Moscow wanted anyway, at least it's what they say that they want.
"I think they kind of do want the diplomatic process," Ioffe continued. "They think, you know, it is interesting when you hear the establishment in Washington talk about, 'Oh, tensions have never been higher since the Cold War as if that's a bad thing.' It is a good thing. It is over. In Russia, they see the cold war as a good thing, as a place we should return to because Russia was one of two superpowers, counterbalancing the U.S., throwing sand in its gears, having to be dealt with, having to be consulted with, having to be asked for permission. So, they're trying to get back to a place of the Cold War in Europe where the two main guarantors of security or insecurity are not just the U.S. and NATO, but also Russia. And that requires some diplomatic maneuvering and a new security agreement in Europe, which is what Russia says it wants and this is buying time for, as you said no war, but also diplomacy."
See the discussion below:
Reporter explains how Biden got Putin to blink after Russian forces amassed near Ukraine
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