The eagle and the bear fight: Peace is nowhere near

The United States admits that Russia can be completely isolated from the international financial system in the event of a military invasion of Ukraine, US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland said. As Nuland noted, the United States is already discussing such a scenario with its allies. The de facto isolation would entail consequences for both Russian businesses and Russian citizens, as it would restrict their opportunities for work, travel and trade, she noted. In an effort to keep Russia from aggression, the United States is considering all available options including unprecedented sanctions that can be introduced in stages, Nuland said. In addition, the United States expressed a hope that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be shut down should Russia invade Ukraine. The US is in talks with the new government of Germany at this point, and US officials can already see that their counterparts in Germany are prepared for a decisive action against Russia.