With Russia amassing troops and new military capabilities on Ukraine’s border, the Biden administration last month quietly exempted from mandatory sanctions a Russia-backed vessel involved in the process to win regulatory approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Critics of the decision say it violates the law and undermines U.S. efforts to create deterrence ahead of an expected Russian attack.
On Friday, the Washington Post reported that U.S. intelligence believes that a Russian offensive in early 2022 could involve as many as 175,000 troops, and Ukrainian and Western officials have warned for weeks that such an invasion is imminent. As they seek to deter such an attack, U.S. officials have reportedly been putting together a tough sanctions package ahead of a video call between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin scheduled for tomorrow. But the move to shield a ship involved in the pipeline project discredits the administration’s claims that it is serious about deterring Russia. The Russian pipeline will bypass Ukraine, sidelining the country from gas routes and removing a potential obstacle to a Russian invasion — but the Biden administration has repeatedly declined to stand in its way.
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