US (Washington Insider Magazine) – Last week, President Joe Biden and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida met via video conference to contemplate national security concerns as a result of the tensions with China and North Korea, as well as North Korea’s consistent mention of nuclear capabilities and further testing. They also covered topics such as the Ukraine crisis, Russia’s imminent hunger for war, and trade issues exacerbated by the pandemic.
U.S. and Japanese relations run positively still, and both leaders are looking forward to additional conversations and meetings throughout the year if the pandemic permits.
PM Kishida referenced the growing tensions between Ukraine and Russia as one of its top national security concerns alongside the United States and voiced his concern over how things are currently progressing between both regimes and Vladimir Putin’s involvement in the disputes.
Russia has been acting in ways that could indicate a war on the horizon and has been strategically positioning its tanks and other war machines strategically as they close in on the Ukrainian border.
In the event that the United States were to act in a way to head off Russia in the political interest of protecting Ukrainian assets and national interests, PM Kishida has voiced his complete agreement and partnership with the United States in any such case. This was appreciated by President Biden, who is further evaluating what action is needed in order to assert its leadership on the world stage. Currently, Russia and its leaders have made depreciatory remarks about the U.S. and its allies, seemingly interested in warring with nations at its border.
Due to the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia (namely, Moscow) has received heavy sanctions from all directions, which resulted in its losing its top eight position as one of the top eight global economies in the world. After this point, President Putin has continued to put pressure on bordering nations and continues to assert his dominance in actions that can only be perceived as warmongering.
President Biden is aware of the imminent national security risk that this type of behavior places on the United States, and has spoken on several occasions with President Putin to offset any negative consequence or effect. Cabinet members have confirmed that President Biden has threatened to impose additional sanctions on Moscow if the behavior should continue. Unfortunately, this strategy is not showing to be nearly as effective as it needs to be to persuade President Putin to focus his efforts elsewhere.
President Biden is not backing down and is continuing to seek support from the G-7 in addressing Russia’s persistence in continuing the aggression. This is especially timely, as Russia could take advantage of its advanced nuclear warfare capabilities. It is in many nations’ best interests to limit the authority and otherwise dominance that Russia has on the Eastern world stage. As discussions continue, we hope to see a resolution bloom in the interests of the welfare of the Ukrainian people.
