USA vs Russia: The final score is 4-2 to the home nation. The Americans continue to struggle with their zone entry, and Russia has only three shots on goal. At 9:38 p.m. ET, Russia has a goal by Hurricanes prospect Vasily Ponomaryov. But it doesn’t matter. USA has shown grit, and I expect it to continue. Here are some things to watch for during the final period.

The United States and Canada lost key players during the game. Russia also suffered a loss, losing six players to virus-related issues. The team turned it up in the third period when the score was 4-1. They scored two goals against Yaroslav Askarov, who made some great saves. Now the team is off to Austria to face Canada and Germany. We’ll get a recap of the game in the next few days.

The US should maintain the door open for dialogue. In the past, if Russia believes the United States is mobilizing its military, it’s more likely to intensify its military efforts. The Kremlin knows that if the U.S. military doesn’t intervene, it’s going to get nowhere. By pretending the military option is on the table, the Kremlin will have a propaganda tool to justify an invasion.

Another way the United States can protect Ukraine is by imposing carbon border adjustment measures. The European Union has introduced a carbon-border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), which would impose a tax on carbon-intensive imports into the EU. This move would affect Russia’s economy more than that of any other country. Russia’s industrial sector produces a large amount of carbon dioxide, and the United States should support this proposal and help to implement it. If the Russians invade Ukraine, this could be the start of calls for a military intervention in defense of the Ukrainian people. Unfortunately, this option is unlikely to be a realistic option.