No early media “lid” at the Oval Office today: The administration begins three rounds of talks with the Russians looking at next steps in the crisis over Ukraine.
Expectations that this exercise in diplomacy will deliver a better night’s sleep for the White House are low. Still, President Biden has a real opportunity here. Global events could well push the next catastrophe for the president’s foreign policy by a month or so, giving the administration more time to find its footing.
This week’s high-level meetings include direct talks between Washington and Moscow, a meeting of NATO with Russia, and a session of the Organization of Cooperation and Security in Europe (OCSE). That’s a lot of talking. As Winston Churchill said, “Jaw-jaw is always better than war-war.”
He could not be calling an early lid at the White House every day. He could cut back on the beach trips. He could stop using the White House for partisan attacks and refuse to push out ridiculous diatribes from his press room on COVID and the economy worthy of Pravda. He could pull a Harry Truman and seriously throw himself into confronting America’s adversaries and protecting U.S. interests.
Biden may have the most consequential opportunity to save his presidency. But it won’t last long. The clock is ticking.
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James Carafano is senior counselor to the president and the E.W. Richardson Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.
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