Biden-Putin call: Analysts say US president may still have a chance to derail Ukraine invasion | Fox News

With a massive build of Russian troops near Ukraine s border, Russia s Vladimir Putin is indicating a willingness to risk a military conflict, but analysts say while the threat is serious, an invasion is not certain.

The threat of an invasion will be the central subject of President Biden s video call with Putin on Tuesday. Biden is expected to warn of dire consequences should Russia follow through with a military offensive, while Putin is expected to reiterate his ultimatum that NATO should not allow Ukraine to join its military alliance.

The outcome of the video call could have major implications as Putin weighs the potential costs of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine. Jim Townsend, a former Pentagon official and adjunct senior fellow in the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program, said Putin is an “opportunist” who sees an invasion as one of several potential pathways for achieving his goals in the region.

via www.foxnews.com

This one is tough for us, as my oldest son recently married a Ukrainian woman whose parents are now in harm’s way. Evidently it is all but impossible to get a passport in Kiev now, so long are lines for the diplomatic offices, which are none too efficient to begin with. I asked if there was anything we could do to help — perhaps call somebody who might know somebody — but realistically, we have no more influence in this matter than you would expect. To make matters worse, her parents, like many Ukrainians, strongly supported, including financially, though they could ill afford to do so, the Midon demonstrations, in which many people died, that to led to Ukraine’s current, fragile independence. It’s heartbreaking to even think about. If there is a war, many Ukrainians will surely die, and many more lose their homes and their savings. Theirs is a fight without hope against the Russian behemoth, but from what I saw there when I visited, they are the kind of people who will fight like demons even if they have no realistic hope of winning, who would feel they have no choice but to fight, and you can see why. If you have a list of people to pray for this Christmas, please put the people of Ukraine on that list.