Joe Biden, as lame duck, may decide to nuke Russia before he resigns

US President Joe Biden may take drastic actions before he resigns, Alexander Yakovenko, a member of the scientific council at the Security Council of the Russian Federation and former Russian Ambassador to the UK believes.

Photo: flickr.com by 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard", PDM

"Biden and his administration are still in power as a lame duck. In December 2016, Barack Obama similarly decided to sharply aggravate relations with Russia by expelling 35 Russian diplomats. The same can be expected now, especially in Ukraine,” Yakovenko said.

Trump will take up US foreign affairs before his inauguration while trying to push the current administration out of decision-making processes, Yakovenko suggested.

Biden to transfer $6 billion to Ukraine

The Biden administration intends to urgently send Ukraine a final aid package in the amount of $6 billion. Politico columnist Jack Detsch claims that the funds are to be transferred before Donald Trump takes office as head of state as the White House may cease arms supplies to Kyiv as soon as Trump takes office as President.

The Guardian said that Ukraine plunged into "despondency and uncertainty" after Trump's election victory. The new American leader may stop providing military aid to Kyiv, and the Ukrainian troops risk losing their positions in Donbas, the British publication said.

Biden earlier admitted that there was no consensus among Western allies regarding the decision to let Ukraine strike deep into Russia. Nevertheless, as Russian President Vladimir Putin noted, the Ministry of Defense was studying options for responding to possible strikes deep into Russian territory.

First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Alexey Chepa believes, though, that Biden is unlikely to take any dramatic measures on the issue of Ukraine during the remainder of his presidential term.

"Biden will be de jure president before January 20, and he will not take unjustified steps, because this will seriously threaten him and his team. Most likely, Congress will not support any radical actions regarding this issue, just like on the Middle East issues," the official said, lenta.ru reports.

At the same time, political strategist and political analyst Pavel Dubravsky suggests that Biden may decide to transfer long-range weapons to Ukraine shortly before his resignation in January 2025.

"Why? He will no longer be re-elected and he can do whatever he personally considers right in the current situation," the expert reasoned.

Even if this does not happen, the Democratic Party will continue to lobby for arms supplies to Ukraine.

Details

Joe Biden's tenure as the 46th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 2021. Biden, a member of the Democratic Party who previously served as vice president for two terms under President Barack Obama, took office after his victory in the 2020 presidential election over the incumbent president, Donald Trump of the Republican Party. Upon his inauguration, he became the oldest president in American history, breaking the record set by Ronald Reagan. Biden entered office amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic crisis, and increased political polarization. He withdrew his bid for a second term in the 2024 presidential election due to low popularity and concerns over his age and health. He is to be succeeded by Trump in January 2025, who won the aforementioned election.