In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Biden is expected to announce sanctions against Russia that he has previously threatened. That, and a strongly worded letter to Putin should do it. This never had to happen. It all started when Putin took Crimea from Ukraine during the Obama - Biden administration. Nothing happened, we just watched. Then, Biden becomes President, tucks his tail between his legs and runs out of Afghanistan. Putin knows weakness when he sees it. The Heritage Foundation presented last week several things Biden could and should do to show strength against Russian aggression.

• Success of Ukraine will rest in large part on the shoulders of Ukrainians themselves, U.S. leadership is essential for counteracting Russian aggression and supporting Ukraine.
• The U.S. should pursue prudent measures, such as providing defensive weapons and other supplies to Ukraine.
• The US should Kill Nord Stream 2 right now.
• The US should bolster the defense of NATO’s eastern flank.

These steps, implemented from a position of strength, could have helped avoid this crisis. President Biden spoke today to announce his support for NATO, Ukraine, sanctions and 'defensive' troop deployments. Good language, but delivered from a position of weakness as described above. It is easy to criticize the moves of every President. The media and Democrats did it as nauseum with President Trump, usually by making things up. Like Trump, President Biden, he sets himself up for criticism. He sent VP Harris to Europe to fix the problem, result, Russia invades. Nice job. Today in his speech, Biden even emphasized he does not plan to use those troops he is deploying. Putin knows what that means, especially after the disgraceful pullout from Afghanistan. Putin can continue his aggression because all the US will do is say, please stop. Putin knew in advance what sanctions would be applied if he invaded, and he invaded. He clearly is not worried about those sanctions. This is an administration in chaos and out of its league in tough negotiations. And that leaves the country in peril. Sanctions Against Russia Roll Out; West Says More Could Come. EU, U.K. target banks, individuals, but the West hasn’t unleashed some options it signaled it was considering amid an invasion. The White House said the U.S. would hold Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine. “An invasion is an invasion, and that is what is under way,” White House Principal Deputy Security Adviser Jonathan Finer said on CNN Tuesday morning. But a senior U.S. administration official said that U.S. sanctions—expected to be announced later Tuesday—would be calibrated to what the Kremlin chose to do in the coming days. More From The Wall Street Journal