LIGHT 'EM UP:

President Biden faces intensifying pressure at home four weeks into the war, with a solid majority of Americans expressing doubt that he has done enough to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, according to a poll by The Associated Press and NORC released Thursday.

Some 56 percent of Americans -- and 43 percent of Democrats -- said Mr. Biden, who was meeting on Thursday with European leaders, had not been "tough enough" in his response. About one-third said his handling the crisis was "just right," according to the poll, which surveyed 1,082 U.S. adults between last Thursday and Monday, more than three weeks into the war.

The mass movement of Russians is already making waves in the region. In Georgia, too many Russians are arriving. In Turkey, Russians are taking advantage of an option to become citizens by buying real estate, and that's exactly what they're doing.

The economic bullets are hitting the targets [...]

These are the very early days for the economic effects. It's very likely that things will get worse, and soon. An all-too-familiar scene of queues for food is re-emerging. Queues mean shortages and limited access to a range of consumer goods.

Nor can the Russian government do much immediately to manage these issues. It's practically impossible. Adapting to a sudden economic disruption, let alone a disaster, can't be easy, or quick. More sanctions, including on the sale of Russian gold, a major reserve for Russian economic policy, are coming.

Add to this enchanting picture of futility:

The sheer cost of a large war. (Billions per day.)

Severe loss of revenue through loss of trade. (Likely to get a lot worse if energy sales stop.)

Backlash from Russian soldiers returning from Ukraine. (That's becoming a serious issue. The casualties aren't exactly endearing the war to Russian families.)

Loss of foreign assets. (The Russian economy isn't actually very big. Those assets were critical to its cashflow and basic business.)

Loss of skilled people. In just a few weeks, that's already a huge issue; not a good sign for Russia.

 A less obvious issue - The people who created this unspeakable mess are unlikely to know how to fix it. They're unlikely to be able to fix it, in fact. Any fix requires the goodwill of an antagonized world. Adding some extra vinegar, accused war criminals also have other things on their minds.

Any future Russia will have a lot of damage control and repairs to do. Add likely obstruction from Putin and Putin supporters, and that's not going to be easy.

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