Putin's desire for Biden photo-op might trump sanctions rage

President Joe Biden’s imposition of new sanctions on Russia could intensify tensions with Moscow just as Russian military forces amass on Ukraine’s border, but the signals from Washington raise the stakes of any aggression by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It might go both ways: It might increase tensions militarily or decrease,” said a Baltic official, who assessed U.S.-Russia relations on condition of anonymity. “Putin is very unpredictable, so it’s difficult to say. … In the short term, rhetoric and military tensions might increase.”