'Who rules in Washington?': The question now haunting the world as bumbling Biden stokes World War fears and antagonizes Russia, writes MARK ALMOND

The remainder of the satellite tends to beryllium retired the lame-duck weeks astatine the extremity of a statesmanlike reign, holding its enactment to spot what the caller commander-in-chief volition bash erstwhile successful the Oval Office.

Not this time.

With 8 weeks to inauguration day, there's a consciousness of increasing instability which gives the countdown to the extremity of Joe Biden's word successful the White House an astir uniquely unsafe character.

In fact, we look person to a World War Three-style clash betwixt superpower rivals than astatine immoderate clip since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

Back then, we had John F. Kennedy steering America's vessel of authorities – a president astatine the tallness of his intelligence powers and energy.

Today we person Joe Biden, an incumbent galore judge is present excessively frail successful caput and assemblage to springiness afloat 24/7 attraction to the processing situation betwixt Russia and the wider world.

It's adjacent much alarming, then, that Biden and his squad look to beryllium throwing caution speech and adjacent revving up American engagement with the world's astir fraught struggle – connected the bloody battlefields of Ukraine.

By abruptly allowing Ukraine to occurrence US-made, long-range missiles hundreds of miles wrong Russia – aft saying helium wouldn't for much than 2 years – arsenic good arsenic adding anti-personnel mines to deliveries of American weapons, and approving a further $275 cardinal successful subject assistance, Biden is earnestly upping Washington's committedness to this struggle adjacent arsenic Donald Trump tries to task himself arsenic a peacemaker successful the wings.

Not lone is this a look for confusion, it could marque a vicious warfare much deadly still.

There is nary warrant that calm volition instrumentality erstwhile Trump takes implicit successful January.

Indeed, hopes that this agelong warfare – surpassing its 1000th time this week – mightiness beryllium entering its second stages look much distant than ever.

On Thursday, President Putin deed backmost astatine expanding Western involvement, announcing that his forces had carried retired an onslaught successful the eastbound Ukrainian metropolis of Dnipro utilizing an experimental 'new' hypersonic missile (codenamed 'Oreshnik').

On Tuesday, helium performatively changed Russian instrumentality to little the threshold for the usage of atomic weaponry.

How antithetic the satellite seemed erstwhile Biden entered the White House successful January 2021.

Then aged 78, his decades connected the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, followed by 8 years arsenic President Obama's vice president and point-man for galore overseas issues – including the rumbling volcano of Ukraine – made him look a harmless brace of hands.

But if Biden's overseas argumentation credentials were a motivating crushed to ballot for him successful 2020, that soon changed. Real-world acquisition tarnished his bequest from the commencement of his administration.

The presumption of America's Afghanistan departure whitethorn good person been antecedently determined by Trump's woody with the Taliban, but it was Biden who managed – oregon alternatively wholly mismanaged – the last days of the 2021 withdrawal from Kabul. Thirteen US work members mislaid their lives.

Now, Biden's White House has proven itself wholly incapable of ending the struggle betwixt Israel and its violent enemies of Hamas and Hezbollah.

All of which is wherefore belated enactment successful Ukraine is present the President's champion chance, possibly his lone chance, of leaving a affirmative bequest successful the tract of overseas policy.

It is surely apt that the chaos of Afghanistan, and America's disposable weakness there, emboldened Putin to deliberation helium could invade Ukraine.

That went severely wrong, of course. Ukraine was not subdued wrong a substance days arsenic Putin had hoped.

Yet helium has refused to dial down the struggle – and with bully reason: for Putin, the result of his 'special operation' is simply a substance of survival.

While victory, oregon the quality of it, would unafraid his power of Russia, decision means the extremity of his tenure successful the Kremlin and, probably, his life.

As President Obama noted 10 years ago, the destiny of Ukraine was ever going to beryllium much existential for Moscow than Washington.

Part of the United States' unparalleled greatness has been its quality to upwind defeats – specified arsenic the falls of Saigon successful 1975 and Kabul successful 2021 – and roar backmost arsenic the ascendant superpower soon afterwards.

Russia lacks the aforesaid resilience. It cannot spend decision without facing gyration arsenic happened successful 1917 – oregon the benignant of humiliation it endured aft losing Afghanistan and Eastern Europe successful 1991, which precipitated the illness of the Soviet Union.

This is wherefore Putin is present hell-bent connected bringing Ukraine to heel. It's not conscionable Kyiv that helium wants to cattle – different neighbors indispensable beryllium kept compliant, too.

He besides wants to crush immoderate hopes of liberation that restive regions wrong Russia, specified arsenic Chechnya, mightiness hold.

Even the brutal outgo – some quality and fiscal – of the warfare successful Ukraine makes consciousness to the Kremlin due to the fact that it sends this wide connection to its citizens: 'look astatine the unspeakable terms of snuggling up to the West. This is what happens if you situation to defy Moscow.'

It's a nasty, ruthless calculation, but Putin knows that a long-drawn-out warfare of attrition works for him.

Over Washington, the clip scales for specified crises – America's attraction span if you similar – are simply excessively abbreviated and cost-aware to lucifer specified semipermanent aggression.

And there's besides the contented of indecision among US leadership.

In the Kremlin, determination is an awesome unity. There is nary uncertainty oregon part implicit what to bash adjacent or, much importantly, who is successful charge.

Washington, with its dilatory transportation of powerfulness and mixed messaging, is rather antithetic – uncomfortably similar Berlin successful 1914 connected the eve of the First World War.

It's a humanities parallel worthy pursuing, for Ukrainians are similar the Austrians were backmost then.

Today, mortally threatened, Ukraine has placed its anticipation successful a large ally, America, conscionable arsenic the collapsing Austrian empire erstwhile sought extortion from the mightiness of Germany, its concern neighbour to the north.

By the extremity of June 1914, bid was successful sight. Serbia – blamed for the fateful assassination of Franz Ferdinand, heir to the imperial throne of Austria – had accepted each but 1 of Vienna's belligerent demands.

But that each changed erstwhile the Austrian overseas curate received not 1 but 2 telegrams from his allies successful Berlin.

The archetypal came from German Emperor, William II, who said that, arsenic the Serbs were cooperating, honour was satisfied and he, William, could resume his summertime cruise.

The main of the German wide unit sent a precise antithetic message: 'The Serbs person rejected 1 of your demands, invade now!'

'Who rules successful Berlin?' asked the bewildered Austrian overseas minister. In the end, helium did what the German generals demanded – mounting successful bid 1 of the astir unspeakable conflicts successful the past of humanity.

Today, the question haunting the satellite is: 'Who rules successful Washington?'

Is Joe Biden truly successful complaint until January 20, oregon is it his squad who really have their hands connected the diplomatic and subject levers? 

Are Biden's cardinal information advisers, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for example, attempting to physique metaphorical barricades and traps successful Ukraine – to artifact immoderate Trump appeasement of Putin?

Perhaps they don't judge Trump's projected Ukrainian 'peace plan' would beryllium bully for America oregon the West, and anticipation to beryllium portion of a large Democrat comeback successful 2028.

That's the version of their reasoning that Donald Trump Jr and the nominated National Security Adviser, Michael Waltz, similar to believe.

But what truly matters is what Donald Trump himself thinks – and that remains a mystery, adjacent arsenic the situation deepens.

It's understandable if, successful the twilight of his tenure, Biden wants to springiness Putin a bloody parting shot. Who wouldn't?

But what the remainder of the satellite needs is simply a clear, semipermanent strategy from Washington – not an aged antheral kicking retired successful choler and vexation earlier the spotlight yet moves