If diplomacy fails with Russia, we all lose. Biden must not abandon talks | Chris S Chivvis

Hawks in DC are calling for more US involvement in Ukraine. But that would increase the risk of direct US-Russia conflict

Biden came to office aiming to focus his foreign policy on the needs of the US middle class. Ending the pandemic, rejuvenating the nation, addressing climate change and competing with China were top priorities. Russia was not. After an initial series of measures designed to punish Vladimir Putin for his chemical-weapons attack on Alexei Navalny, cyber-espionage, and meddling in US domestic politics, policymakers opted to pursue stability and predictability in the US-Russia relationship.

The crisis over Ukraine now threatens to derail this aim and distract from Biden's broader agenda. It would be tragic if, after having been through the painful process of withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration is now pulled deeper into the crisis over Ukraine.

Christopher S Chivvis is the Director of the American Statecraft Program and a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace