U.S. president Barack Obama today faces pressure from conservative elements in Congress, his principal advisers and European allies to take measures regarding the situation in the Ukraine.
The president intends to implement a strategy to isolate Moscow and prevent it from seizing additional Ukrainian territory, even as he is being pressured at home to respond more forcefully, the New York Times reports today.
The NY Times article claims that the crisis has challenged Obama as no other before it, and questions the White House’s capacity to take strong enough measures against the Kremlin.
“It’s the most important, most difficult foreign-policy test of his presidency. The stakes are very high,” said R. Nicholas Burns, a career diplomat who became Under Secretary of State in the George W. Bush administration (2001-2009). No significant political leaders in Washington are urging a military response, but many wanted Obama to take stronger measures than he has so far, The Times said.
In this sense, Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, has already devised language to serve as the basis for possible bipartisan legislation outlining a forceful response, including sanctions against Russia and economic support for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, other right-wing sectors are suggesting revisiting the European missile defense shield and boycotting the G-8 meeting in Sochi, Russia next June.
Working from the Oval Office, the president has telephoned his main allies and evaluated a series of diplomatic and economic measures in response to the Kremlin’s actions.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council carried out emergency meetings on Friday and Saturday, where the conflicting positions between Moscow and Washington and EU allies were evident. (PL)