Joe Biden is weak on Russia, Donald Trump was not
As I contended here, when it came to Russia, Donald Trump spoke softly but carried a stick. He didn’t attack Vladimir Putin personally, but he punished Russian misconduct to some extent and took meaningful measures to thwart Russian expansionism.
So far, Joe Biden has adopted the opposite approach. He calls Putin “a killer,” but does not meaningfully punish Russia, even as it amasses large forces on the border of Ukraine. Instead, Biden is returning, in large measure, to the failed “Russia reset” policy of Barack Obama.
Picking up on the stick analogy, the Republican National Committee finds that, on Russia, “Biden speaks loudly and carries a twig.” That’s about right.