What Trump is doing (& wants to do) vis a vis Russia, is a legit foreign policy option.holmes435 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 19, 2019 12:10 amThey got nukes when we gave them nukes.
Yes we're in charge of the weapons, but Putin is scared of both the bases and the US forces who man them. He's scared of the unified NATO front and its ability to impose heavy sanctions and whittle away his power in-country.
Which is why they have an active campaign to undermine NATO and why it's such a big deal that Trump is spewing such pro-Russian propaganda, like Montenegro and other BS. It's one thing to suggest NATO allies spend a little more, it's another to threaten to pull out and destabilize the west insofar as its power to control Russian pursestrings and other important items.
You always complain about Germany buying energy, but ignore the tactical advantage that creates for the west. Germany can buy energy from most of the world. Russia can't sell energy to most of the world. Germany is basically a dealer giving the first hit for free, but you don't see that.
Putin is actively trying to destabilize western alliances, and has done a good job of it. He'd much prefer to deal with each country unilaterally than against a multilateral front.
Does any of that seem to fit into what's going on in this country with our President? Seems to fit like a glove. And no, not like a bloody, dried out Isotoner over a base layer.
Trump has done more to deter & contain Russian adventurism since he became President than any of his predecessors since Reagan.
You & the EUroburghers are whining about his rhetoric to divert from his legit critique of NATO free riders.
Yes Putin fears sanctions, but our EUroburgher allies refuse to apply them & complain & find workarounds to the sanctions we apply.
They just lobbied us to lift sanctions on Al.
Germany can buy energy from non-Russian sources, but they are electing not to do so. They are not building the infrastructure to do so. Instead they are building the infrastructure to become even more dependent on Russian NG, & forcing their western neighbors to follow because of their central location in the pipeline network. They (along with their hostage neighbors) are the primary financiers of Putin's military buildup.
But tell us more about the nucs we've given to Belgium, Italy & the Netherlands.