McDowell Quoted in Christian Science Monitor Article on Biden’s Handling of Russia-Ukraine Crisis

March 21, 2022

Christian Science Monitor

Daniel McDowell

Political Science Department

Comparative Politics/International Relations Speaker Series

International Affairs

NATO

Russia

Ukraine

Christian Science Monitor

Daniel McDowell

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has put direct pressure on the U.S. to do more to help Ukraine, but President Biden is trying to avoid direct conflict between NATO and Russian military forces. Additional sanctions could be in the offing if Russian assault continues. One option is "secondary sanctions," which target anyone doing business with a sanctioned state like Russia, says Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science.

But Mr. Biden shouldn’t just sanction Russia as heavily as possible, McDowell says. The president may face domestic pressure to respond more forcefully, he says, but the more America acts alone, the harder it becomes to coordinate allies from Germany to Japan. "Keeping the coalition together is really critical, and I think in that respect, they’ve done a really good job." Read more in the Christian Science Monitor article, "Biden’s high-wire act on Ukraine."