Rather than follow through on its threats after Russia begins invading Ukraine, the Biden administration should shift its diplomatic attempts to negotiate an end to the conflict. Specifically, the United States should offer a written guarantee to Russia that NATO will never expand to the former Soviet republics and that the United States will cut off all U.S. military assistance to Ukraine in exchange for a halt to the advance of Russian invasion forces. Further, the Biden administration should accept Russia’s proposed security agreement in exchange for certain concessions, most importantly, the signing of a U.S.-Russia Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, which would recognize Russia’s security interests while safeguarding U.S. interests that allow pathways to resolve all remaining and future conflicts between the two countries and usher in a new era of U.S.-Russian relations defined by peaceful cooperation rather than military confrontation.

It is time for U.S. leaders to put U.S. national security interests above those of other nations halfway across the globe and stop fighting other countries’ wars. America could successfully adapt and adjust to a Russian takeover of Ukraine or a potential weakening of the NATO alliance while ensuring its vital national security interests continue to be safeguarded. A worst-case scenario would be for the United States to inadvertently provoke a Russian nuclear/EMP/cyberattack on the U.S. homeland in response to escalation over Ukraine.

Accordingly, the Biden administration must avail itself of every diplomatic opportunity before and, especially after, a hypothetical Russian invasion of Ukraine to de-escalate the conflict between the United States, NATO, and Russia. Biden must ensure that a potential invasion does not escalate to a full-scale war that leads to the destruction of the United States and the unnecessary deaths of tens of millions of American citizens. The founding of a grand strategic partnership for peace between the United States and Russia, formalized by treaty, would be the best way to greatly decrease the threat of war with Russia while also removing China’s ability to capitalize on growing unrest in Eastern Europe.

David T. Pyne, Esq. is a former U.S. Army combat arms and H.Q. staff officer with an M.A. in National Security Studies from Georgetown University. He currently serves as Deputy Director of National Operations for the EMP Task Force on National and Homeland Security and is a contributor to Dr. Peter Pry’s new book Blackout Warfare. He may be reached at [email protected].

Image: Wikipedia.