Jarrett Renshaw, Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – U.S. President Joe Biden hoped that 2022 would be spent building bridges in America, metaphorically and literally. He is now being pulled into the crisis that Russian President Vladimir Putin has created. This could lead to a reshaping of Europe.

According to aides, Biden is deeply involved in details surrounding the Russia-Ukraine policy problem and not in the elections cycle. He had just one month ago laid out an action plan to combat his low polls in U.S. midterm elections.

Senior administration officials said, “He is not discussing politics”. A senior administration official said that he is focused on his calls with foreign leaders. He doesn’t know who he wants to speak to next. His involvement in this project is immense.

Strategists from both sides say that in an election year, when the White House controls most of the seats in Congress loses, the shadows of politics are there.

Biden stated that U.S. troops won’t enter Ukraine and American voters don’t normally base their votes on foreign events. An interruption in Russia’s energy supply to Europe could lead to gasoline prices rising in the United States. Americans already feel the most severe inflation rates in over 40 years.

“If Russia invades and it’s a quick invasion and it’s just a matter of days, then obviously that is lot better than a prolonged effort because oil prices won’t be out of whack for an extended period of time,” said Democratic strategist Bud Jackson.

Biden has described Ukraine’s tensions in a larger global struggle between democracy, autocracy, and democracy. Steve Elmendorf, Democratic strategist said that the United States can defeat Putin, assimilate a independent Ukraine and keep U.S. troops out of war.

Elmendorf explained that Elmendorf hopes that Elmendorf will show strength and competence and that this may improve his numbers. Elmendorf also stated that Democrats should have higher numbers in November. Elmendorf indicated that the country’s mood would depend more on Ukraine than it will on the people’s feelings about their recovery from the COVID-19 disaster.

Putin’s apparent determination to rule an independent Ukraine could mean that the crisis will continue for several weeks or even months. If Biden seems to be stumbling on the issue, Republicans, who focused their efforts on blocking Biden’s COVID policy and legislative agenda in the midst of their own party infighting are likely to intensify their attempts to portray the president as weak and inept to combat Putin.

Scott Reed, Republican strategist said that the Ukraine crisis has been a distraction for Biden. He said that it has diverted him from important issues like inflation and the cost of gas.

INFLATION IS HUGE

Global benchmark oil price is now at around $100 per barrel. It has been this high since September 2014. Russia, which is behind the United States of America and Saudi Arabia, is third in the world for oil production. It also supplies significant amounts to Europe.

According to experts interviewed by the administration, Biden is unlikely to attack Russia’s oil-and gas sector because of concerns over inflation and potential harm to European allies.

“Inflation can be a major concern. There is an inflation crisis in Europe and you do not want to increase it,” Sarah Emerson (NYSE), President of Energy Security Analysis, Inc, global consulting firm.

Biden was careful to add warnings about higher energy prices to Tuesday’s speech. He did this to help Americans better understand the impact of the conflict, his aides said.

His team of veterans of then-President Barack Obama’s experience with Russia and Ukraine in 2014, including White House officials Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer, Eric Green and Amanda Sloat and press secretary Jen Psaki in the West Wing, and the two top national security aides for Vice President Kamala Harris, Nancy McEldowney and Phil Gordon, believe they learned from mistakes.

Former Obama senior adviser said that Obama’s current response to Putin’s 2014 annexe of Crimea was more powerful than his in 2014.

The aide, who requested anonymity to discuss the matter freely said that “it definitely seems more intense.” It’s because we all learned that the country and many of those involved are now involved were also involved back then,” he explained.