Biden Struggles to Gain Political Footing Ahead of Midterms

President Joe Biden’s approval continues to lag as several domestic and foreign policy challenges cast a shadow over his presidency.

While coronavirus cases have been dropping nationwide, inflation remains a top issue among voters ahead of the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Biden’s approval rating stands at 40.7%, according to the 538 polling aggregate, around the same level as former President Donald Trump’s average rating when he was president.

The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine also poses a challenge for the administration. Biden faces pressure from both those arguing for a more interventionist stance as well as those arguing for a more hands-off approach.

A possible positive development for the president is his nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court caused by the retirement of Stephen Breyer. While Jackson’s ascension of the court will not cause any substantial change in the ideological makeup of the court, Democrats hope the first black woman on the Supreme Court will excite their base.

 

Russian Invasion of Ukraine Continues as Western Countries Respond with Sanctions, Aid

Russian President Vladimir Putin began his country’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine last week, capping months of speculation over whether Russia would invade Ukraine, and if so, to what extent. The invasion is a large-scale manuever, with Russian troops advancing into Ukraine along its borders with Russia and Belarus, a key Russian ally.

The first days of the invasion have seen Russia take over sections of the country, though Russia has failed to establish air superiority over the country’s air space even after strikes aimed to take out Ukraine's air defenses on the first day. No major cities have been taken yet, though both sides have engaged in heavy fighting in the capital and largest city Kiev as well as Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv. Both cities are close to the borders of Belarus and Russia respectively and are vulnerable to Russian attacks. 

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky has vowed to remain in Kiev while fighting for control of the capital continues. He has posted videos on social media in attempts to boost morale at home as well as garner support from international audiences.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has encouraged Ukrainian soldiers to stage a coup against the Zelensky government, calling them ‘drug addicts’ and ‘neo-Nazis,’ and claimed that reaching a peace between Russia and a replacement government will be easier. Such a peace would likely entail Russian suzerainty over Ukraine and the possible cession of lands in the eastern part of Ukraine.

While the consensus has been that Ukraine will eventually fall to Russia should Russia use the full force of its conventional forces to take over the country, some observers have remarked positively on the strength of the Ukrainian resistance to the invasion, which has prevented the capture of any major cities thus far and prevented the capture of a critical airfield near Kiev.

Western countries have been providing Ukraine with military aid and intelligence both prior to and during the Russian invasion. The US and European Union have announced additional sanctions against Russia, as well as removing certain Russian banks from the SWIFT financial system, which allows international financial transactions to occur.

Russian Troops Loom on Ukrainian Border as Invasion Threat Continues

As thousands of Russian troops remain stationed threateningly close to Ukraine’s border, Western countries have tried to convince Russia to back off its threats of moving troops into the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin has counteroffered that NATO refuse any new members, a non-starter for the alliance.

NATO leaders are making trips to Kiev, Ukraine’s capital, including the prime ministers of the UK, the Netherlands, and Poland. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who himself has clashed with many Western leaders during his time in power, will also visit Kiev.

Germany, the largest economy in NATO after the US, has so far been tepid in its support of Ukraine, refraining from sending weapons while other NATO countries have done so. Germany is currently working with Russia to complete the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany. Some in the US government have threatened sanctions over the pipeline, though such sanctions have been opposed, most notably by President Joe Biden, over concerns such measures could weaken the relationship between the US and Germany.

Russia currently is supporting an armed rebellion in eastern Ukraine, where ethnic Russian separatists are trying to break away from the government in Kiev. Russia also controls the Crimean Peninsula, considered by most countries as still part of Ukraine.

Russia fears Ukraine falling further into the West’s orbit as popular opinion in Ukraine has turned strongly against Russia since the 2014 revolution which toppled pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovich and prompted Russia to take over Crimea.

 

Nor'easter Dumps Massive Amounts of Snow over the Weekend

Cities across the Northeast are cleaning up after a strong nor’easter tore through the region this weekend, dumping massive amounts of snow and bringing freezing temperatures.

Boston experienced 23.6 inches of snow in one day, tying a record set in 2003.

Authorities had urged residents to stay off the roads and away from any downed powerlines.

 

President Biden’s Approval Rating Suffers Amid Challenges

President Joe Biden had a politically rough first month of 2022, with his polling numbers falling to the lowest point of his year-old presidency.

According to the 538 polling aggregate, Biden has 41.6% approval rating among registered and likely voters, with 53.3% disapproving. Most polls show strong majorities disapproving of the president’s handling of the economy, foreign policy, and immigration. His approval of handling of the coronavirus pandemic, once a strong point, has suffered, with one recent poll finding a slight net approval, 50-49%.

His party is also facing challenges ahead of the midterm elections. Currently, Republicans lead Democrats by 4.1 points in the congressional generic ballot RealClearPolitics polling aggregate.

While President Biden has time before November to recover his standing, he will need to overcome several challenges to make it happen. Inflation, which rose to the highest level in four decades, continues to cause economic hardship for millions of Americans. The threat of a Russian invasion in Ukraine will also test the president’s diplomatic and foreign policy skills in the coming months.