| Vladimir Putin has a penchant for testing the limits of the United States and the West. As Russian troops continue to mobilize near Ukraine, the threat of an invasion grows. Josh Rogin writes that the Biden administration's mix of diplomacy and threats of future sanctions doesn't seem to be working. He reports that House Republicans have come up with a way of ramping up the pressure: follow the money and cut it off — specifically, Putin's fortune. "The U.S. government has never really tried to go after the people who launder Putin's stolen billions and profit from his gangsterism," Rogin writes. "A massive new GOP sanctions bill being introduced this week would go after the corruption of Putin himself, every member of his cabinet, his family members, and even his alleged longtime mistress." The Biden administration is reluctant to pursue a more aggressive strategy, arguing that this could give Putin a pretext to invade and end all diplomatic efforts to avoid a conflict. The pressing questions seem to be: Can targeted economic pressure stop an invasion, or do you save the sanctions as part of the effort to reverse it? Rogin argues that the United States can't wait to find out. "Sanctions are not a panacea, but the only way to test them for real is to target Putin's money and the few people he actually cares about, now."  (AP) House Republicans want to impose sanctions before Putin invades Ukraine, not after. By Josh Rogin ● Read more » | | | | The split screen that bedevils the White House: Biden on one side and Manchin on the other. By Dana Milbank ● Read more » | | | | The unremittingly negative press meets the optimistic president. By Jennifer Rubin ● Read more » | | | In Iran, those who believed in freedom detested bigotry. In the United States, such solidarity, if it exists, feels muted. By Roya Hakakian ● Read more » | | | | The president needs to focus incessantly on the virus and inflation — twin challenges that are top of mind for most Americans. By E.J. Dionne Jr. ● Read more » | | | | The Winter Olympics will be further chilled by China's surveillance state. By James Hohmann ● Read more » | | | Challenge trials offer many advantages — but the ethics can be thorny. By Brian Klaas ● Read more » | | | | Ladders are not merely encountered in the workplace, but also in the home, in board games, even in metaphors. By Alexandra Petri ● Read more » | | | | An anticipated death, in the presence of loved ones, a death chosen after reflection about predictable, unavoidable pain, should be legal. By George F. Will ● Read more » | | | When it comes to my 12-year-old daughter's safety, I thought it best to tune out the nonsensical logic of certain state leaders and rely instead on science and common sense. By Fernanda Santos ● Read more » | | | | Republicans would love to see it. By Henry Olsen ● Read more » | | | | Turning "freedom" on its head. By Paul Waldman ● Read more » | | | The cost is hidden in our region's waterways — and in our health. By Karl Van Neste ● Read more » | | | |
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