But as news broke this week about the administration’s success in reviving the disastrous 2015 Iran nuclear deal, that assumption is being called into question. If, as appears to be the case, the United States is giving Russia “written guarantees” that nothing in the new, even weaker accord with Tehran will interfere with Russia’s activities in Iran, then it’s clear that not only is Washington signing off on Moscow’s ability to evade sanctions, but clearly signaling that nothing—not even an act of aggression that created a humanitarian disaster—is more important to President Joe Biden and his team then their quest to appease the Islamist regime. To his credit—and despite an emotional appeal to Congress this week by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—Biden is resisting his pleas for NATO to create a no-fly zone over his country. Nevertheless, he is otherwise acting as if facilitating both military and humanitarian aid to the Ukrainians is the main focus of American policy. Just as important are his efforts to isolate Russia. The sanctions put on Moscow and those directly connected to President Vladimir Putin are having a devastating impact on the Russian economy. With all commerce, including the sale of oil and natural gas, from the Russian Federation grinding to a halt, it looks as if the United States is serious about bringing the country to its knees unless it concedes defeat in Ukraine and/or gets rid of its authoritarian leader. For the first time in several years, Americans seem united on an issue. Both the right and the left are alike in their contempt for Putin’s thuggish behavior and their compassion for his Ukrainian victims. This rare consensus is rooted in what The New York Times aptly described as their conviction that their country should still be “a steadfast global defender of freedom and democracy.”