FOG BLOG U.S. NEWS LOG: BIDEN'S PATIENCE WITH PUTIN RUNNING THIN REGARDING POSSIBLE UKRAINE INVASION

Biden cranks up pressure as Putin mulls Ukraine invasion.....President Joe Biden and Western allies are signaling a stiffened stance in the showdown with Russia, piling on pressure designed to deter Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine in a strategy that nevertheless risks quickening a dangerous cycle of escalation.

The White House pivot comes with Biden now under searing pressure from Republicans to show more strength in the confrontation and follows a week in which he was heavily criticized for hastily walked-back comments that played into the Russian leader's hopes of dividing NATO.

Several Republicans accused the President of showing weakness and appeasing Putin in talk show appearances on Sunday. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo struck a jarring tone by describing the Kremlin strongman as a "very talented statesman" who knew how to use power. GOP critiques of Biden ignored the party's tolerance of ex-President Donald Trump's craven deference to the Russian leader and some came across as an attempt to use a national security crisis to damage Biden politically ahead of midterm elections in 2022 and the 2024 presidential election...A series of moves, comments and signals from Washington and Europe over the weekend underscored the deepening peril of the situation at a time when there appears little meaningful diplomatic activity to stop its rapid deterioration.......The State Department said Sunday it was authorizing the departure of non-essential staff and family members from its embassy in Kyiv and warned that in the event of a Russian invasion its capacity to help Americans in the country would be limited. In another significant development, administration officials said the President had discussed options that include deploying between 1,000 and 5,000 troops plus aircraft and ships to US allies in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe.

NATO said early Monday that several member states, including France, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands were either sending or considering small deployments of ships and aircraft to the Baltic and eastern European states. The mostly symbolic maneuvers appear calibrated to send a signal of resolve to Putin while avoiding the impression of a larger-scale mobilization that could send tensions spiraling out of control. "We will always respond to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defense," alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.