The Russian foreign ministry said it expected an explanation from Washington and warned of “an irreversible deterioration in relations” with the new US administration. None of this – Biden’s remark or the indignant Russian response – amounts to much more than diplomatic theatre. Biden has so far shown none of Barack Obama’s aversion to public confrontation with Russia when he was president. A great deal turns on Biden’s response to those findings. A more aggressive approach – and one likely to provoke a Russian response – would involve going after senior Russian figures’ money around the world, including the billions controlled by oligarchs close to the Kremlin.

Source: The Irish Times March 19, 2021 00:00 UTC