Biden Offers to Allow Putin to Inspect NATO Bases in Alleged Attempt to Ease Tensions

Sooo…

Are we not doing war then?

What even is this?

I thought we were doing a war.

New York Post:

The White House has reportedly floated an offer to Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow Kremlin access to key NATO bases in exchange for Moscow de-escalating tensions over its military buildup on Ukraine’s border.

The proposal would also involve discussions about Russia verifying that the US has not deployed Tomahawk cruise missiles to bases in Romania and Poland, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday. ​

The reported offer would be contingent on agreement from US allies, including Romania and Poland, while Russia would also have to provide similar information about bases with ground-launched weapon systems.

The ​overture reportedly is intended to ease Putin’s fears that the US could target Russia with the missiles.​

The Russian leader has demanded a number of security guarantees from the US and its Western allies, including barring Ukraine and other former Soviet states from becoming NATO members and rolling back forces from Eastern Europe.

The US has ​rejected Moscow’s NATO demand as a nonstarter but has suggested the other issues could be part of ongoing diplomatic talks in its written response delivered last week.

Meanwhile, a report in the Spanish newspaper El Pais indicated that ​Washington is willing to discuss promising not to install ground-based missile systems or deploy combat forces in Ukraine if Russia agrees to do the same.

The newspaper purportedly obtained documents that were part of the US and NATO’s written replies to Russia over the security demands.​

The United States is willing to discuss conditions-based reciprocal transparency measures and reciprocal commitments by both the United States and Russia to refrain from deploying offensive ground-launched missile systems and permanent forces with a combat mission in the territory of Ukraine,” ​read a copy of one document on the newspaper’s website.​

No, I don’t think this is what it appears to be.

They are responding to Putin’s demands with ridiculous counter-demands to cause confusion and frustration, and to make themselves look less insane on the world stage.

I don’t think the full bitch-out has begun.

Related: Putin Says If NATO Absorbs Ukraine, There May be War