(Jake Sullivan has returned to the Oval Office to talk about Ukraine. Biden is waiting for him.)
B: I suppose you’re here to talk about Ukraine again.
S: I’m afraid so.
B: Did you know that the Republicans are beating me up for being soft on Putin? The same Republicans who thought it was OK for Trump to withhold weapons from Ukraine and blackmail their president? What a load of malarkey!
S: You’ll get no argument from me, sir. Unfortunately, it’s where our political system is today.
B: So, is there anything else we could be doing to improve the situation in Ukraine?
S: I don’t think so. The problem is that we’re in a completely reactive position. All we can do is deny Putin what he wants. Anything more puts us in danger of starting a nuclear war.
B: Is there any possibility of overthrowing Putin?
S: Not without launching an attack on the Russian homeland itself, which is way too risky. Putin has complete control of the security apparatus, and he isn’t losing big enough to forfeit the support of the military. It’s not going to happen.
B: Can we at least get enough resources to the Ukrainians to push the Russians back over the border?
S: It’s not completely impossible, but it’s unlikely. The Russian manpower advantage is just too great.
B: So all we can do is make the Russians pay the price for their aggression?
S: That’s about it. Putin wants leverage with the Ukrainian government. We can deny him that leverage by preventing large losses of territory and by inflicting so much damage on his military that he can’t think seriously about doing this again in the foreseeable future.
B: The Republicans will complain if we don’t push the Russians out completely. They’re going to demand a World War II style ending with no casualties.
S: That’s the joy of not being responsible for avoiding a nuclear war. You’re going to have to prepare the American people for an outcome that doesn’t involve us planting the flag in Moscow.
B: Yeah, I guess that’s my job. I suppose I should start working on it ASAP. Thanks for the great news. (Sullivan leaves)