BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT – If President Joe Biden’s recent remarks in Poland and President Vladimir Putin’s in Moscow just a day later, are any indication of the path forward, the February 24 anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine may represent the beginning of a new and potentially much more dangerous phase of the conflict, which is increasingly looking like a conflict between NATO and the Russian Federation. Add to that, ominous signals from Beijing and Tehran that this conflict could get much bigger as the leaders of those autocracies start to understand the consequences of a Russian defeat for their own regimes.
Let’s start with the symbolism of President Biden reaching Kyiv before President Putin and where this conflict may be headed.
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