Biden Reportedly Orders Tougher Stance Toward Putin's Invasion: 'Want To See Ukraine Win And Retain…Their Territory'

The President Joe Biden-led administration is reportedly aiming to take a less cautious and tougher direction amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

What Happened: An unnamed senior U.S. official on Monday told The Times that the leadership wants Kyiv to win the confrontation with Russia and regain its lost territories. 

"We want to see Ukraine win and retain the entirety of their territory," the senior U.S. official said, adding, "The aim is to ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and independence are secured and that would mean the recovery of territory occupied by the Russians."

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"If the Russians withdraw, that would be seen as a defeat and that would be welcome."

However, the government official also admitted that it was unrealistic to expect Vladimir Putin to vacate the occupied territory soon. 

"We've seen new horrific strikes against the Ukrainian people, and Russia is showing no interest in negotiations. So our position is that we will continue to do everything we can to help Ukraine survive as an independent, democratic country."

The report noted that despite Putin's weekend decision to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, NATO — which was earlier cautious to avoid the risk of the war escalating into a regional conflict — became bolder in its steps. The escalation threshold has been raised significantly, suggesting that Washington is prepared to call Putin's bluff, it said.

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