Putin has achieved something that several American presidents have failed to do: he has united the political tribal fighters in Washington.
Biden drew bipartisan support for his stance on the war in Ukraine as he delivered his first State of the Union address.
The cause of liberty still has the potential to rally America around a flag, even if it's Ukrainian.
Putin cannot hope that the American response to his war of aggression will be weakened by the US domestic strife that he has invested so much in deepening.
The new global conflict
Biden called Putin a dictator and portrayed the war in Ukraine as part of an epochal battle between democracy and autocracy. He has long held this thesis that our time is shaped by this new global conflict.
The events of the past few days indicate that he is not fundamentally mistaken.
The historic government statement by the Federal Chancellor on Sunday revealed what adjustments this means for German foreign policy.
One can recognize a whim of history in the fact that two ministers with green party memberships traveled to America as the first emissaries of a Germany that had been purified by Realpolitik.
Everyone must now take sides, said Baerbock before the UN.
That's the way it is, that's all you can say.
However, many allies will have a bitter aftertaste that it took a war for Germany to be ready.
Biden is confident that Russia will emerge weakened from this confrontation.
That is likely because of the economic superiority of the West.
However, NATO does not want to intervene militarily.
That's reasonable, keyword nuclear weapons;
even the arms deliveries will irritate Moscow.
As a result, Ukraine could have to sacrifice its freedom for peace in the West.