But Nuland and her ilk only emboldened Putin whereas Trump cowed him.
Weak Biden emboldened Putin, with his talk about 'It's one thing if it's a minor incursion and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do.'
On Wednesday, Biden had predicted Russia would invade Ukraine, but suggested there was a split among NATO members about how to respond if Moscow took action that stopped short of sending its troops across the border — something Biden referred to as a "minor incursion." He said:
"I think what you're going to see is that Russia will be held accountable if it invades. And it depends on what it does. It's one thing if it's a minor incursion and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do."