All Things Russia & Ukraine

[Kismet]

Trump's gladhanding of Putin was face saving cover for Putin while, Trump strengthened NATO more than any post Cold War President has.

Huh? Please elaborate on the strengthening of NATO. Thank you.

Increased training, operations, & rotating deployments to the Baltic states, Poland, Romania & Bulgaria.
Continuous NATO Baltic policing deployments. Increased exercises in NATO's E members, near Russia's border in Norway, increased NATO naval deployments in the Black Sea/E Med, North Atlantic & GIUK gap. Cross decking fight crews, flight ops, & aircraft by US carriers with French & British carriers. Homeporting 2 more USN destroyers in Spain. Increased defense spending by NATO nations & updating weapons systems.

Lavrov just demanded today to Blinken that all NATO forces be removed from Bulgaria and Romania (both NATO members)

Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine Refusal to permit Estonia to transfer artillery that originated in Germany points to strains in Western alliance over Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-bl ... 1642790772

What the heck kind of alliance is NATO anyway? With friends like Germany who needs enemies? Are these the same people you served with all those years?

[old salt]

Today's WH clean up effort is to explain that Biden didn't really mean that our EU/NATO are not in agreement with us on sanctions.
...good luck Tony.

[a fan]

Today's WH clean up effort is to explain that Biden didn't really mean that our EU/NATO are not in agreement with us on sanctions.
...good luck Tony.

Yep. Classic Biden.

[PizzaSnake]

Trump's gladhanding of Putin was face saving cover for Putin while, Trump strengthened NATO more than any post Cold War President has.

Huh? Please elaborate on the strengthening of NATO. Thank you.

Increased training, operations, & rotating deployments to the Baltic states, Poland, Romania & Bulgaria.
Continuous NATO Baltic policing deployments. Increased exercises in NATO's E members, near Russia's border in Norway, increased NATO naval deployments in the Black Sea/E Med, North Atlantic & GIUK gap. Cross decking fight crews, flight ops, & aircraft by US carriers with French & British carriers. Homeporting 2 more USN destroyers in Spain. Increased defense spending by NATO nations & updating weapons systems.

Lavrov just demanded today to Blinken that all NATO forces be removed from Bulgaria and Romania (both NATO members)

Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine Refusal to permit Estonia to transfer artillery that originated in Germany points to strains in Western alliance over Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-bl ... 1642790772

What the heck kind of alliance is NATO anyway? With friends like Germany who needs enemies? Are these the same people you served with all those years?

I hope he doesn’t blinken.

[old salt]

Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine Refusal to permit Estonia to transfer artillery that originated in Germany points to strains in Western alliance over Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-bl ... 1642790772

What the heck kind of alliance is NATO anyway? With friends like Germany who needs enemies? Are these the same people you served with all those years?

No. It's their kids & grandkids, who came of age after the wall came down, they reunited with E Germany & never faced the threat of Soviet & Warsaw Pact forces on their border. The W Germans were as steadfast as any of our NATO allies, more so than some.

Putin is unraveling NATO without firing a shot.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine Refusal to permit Estonia to transfer artillery that originated in Germany points to strains in Western alliance over Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-bl ... 1642790772

What the heck kind of alliance is NATO anyway? With friends like Germany who needs enemies? Are these the same people you served with all those years?

No. It's their kids & grandkids, who came of age after the wall came down, they reunited with E Germany & never faced the threat of Soviet & Warsaw Pact forces on their border. The W Germans were as steadfast as any of our NATO allies, more so than some.

Putin is unraveling NATO without firing a shot.

I guess standing up to Russia didn't matter.

[old salt]

...we should propose a comprehensive disarmament negotiation between NATO & Russia on a DMZ on NATO's E border & Russia's W border.

Let it drag on, sorting the details & providing Putin a face saving off ramp which he can spin as a victory domestically.

[old salt]

Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine Refusal to permit Estonia to transfer artillery that originated in Germany points to strains in Western alliance over Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-bl ... 1642790772

What the heck kind of alliance is NATO anyway? With friends like Germany who needs enemies? Are these the same people you served with all those years?

No. It's their kids & grandkids, who came of age after the wall came down, they reunited with E Germany & never faced the threat of Soviet & Warsaw Pact forces on their border. The W Germans were as steadfast as any of our NATO allies, more so than some.

Putin is unraveling NATO without firing a shot.

I guess standing up to Russia didn't matter.

Putin didn't try this sh!t on Trump.

[a fan]

Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine Refusal to permit Estonia to transfer artillery that originated in Germany points to strains in Western alliance over Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-bl ... 1642790772

What the heck kind of alliance is NATO anyway? With friends like Germany who needs enemies? Are these the same people you served with all those years?

No. It's their kids & grandkids, who came of age after the wall came down, they reunited with E Germany & never faced the threat of Soviet & Warsaw Pact forces on their border. The W Germans were as steadfast as any of our NATO allies, more so than some.

Putin is unraveling NATO without firing a shot.

I disagree. Ukraine isn't in NATO. This has nothing to do with NATO....Germany is correct.

If Germany refused arms to another NATO country? Now THAT would be the unraveling of NATO.

What's the point of NATO if you treat every country on the planet as if they were in NATO? That doesn't make any sense.

I ask again: in what world is invading Ukraine good for Putin and/or Russia? It's just dumb. Lowest wages in Europe. Have fun with that.

It's like Mexico: anyone here wonder why we don't invade Mexico, and annex it to the US? I sure don't.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine Refusal to permit Estonia to transfer artillery that originated in Germany points to strains in Western alliance over Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-bl ... 1642790772

What the heck kind of alliance is NATO anyway? With friends like Germany who needs enemies? Are these the same people you served with all those years?

No. It's their kids & grandkids, who came of age after the wall came down, they reunited with E Germany & never faced the threat of Soviet & Warsaw Pact forces on their border. The W Germans were as steadfast as any of our NATO allies, more so than some.

Putin is unraveling NATO without firing a shot.

I disagree. Ukraine isn't in NATO. This has nothing to do with NATO....Germany is correct.

If Germany refused arms to another NATO country? Now THAT would be the unraveling of NATO.

What's the point of NATO if you treat every country on the planet as if they were in NATO? That doesn't make any sense.

I ask again: in what world is invading Ukraine good for Putin and/or Russia? It's just dumb. Lowest wages in Europe. Have fun with that.

It's like Mexico: anyone here wonder why we don't invade Mexico, and annex it to the US? I sure don't.

Seems like wishful thinking.

[old salt]

Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine Refusal to permit Estonia to transfer artillery that originated in Germany points to strains in Western alliance over Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-bl ... 1642790772

What the heck kind of alliance is NATO anyway? With friends like Germany who needs enemies? Are these the same people you served with all those years?

No. It's their kids & grandkids, who came of age after the wall came down, they reunited with E Germany & never faced the threat of Soviet & Warsaw Pact forces on their border. The W Germans were as steadfast as any of our NATO allies, more so than some.

Putin is unraveling NATO without firing a shot.

I disagree. Ukraine isn't in NATO. This has nothing to do with NATO....Germany is correct.

If Germany refused arms to another NATO country? Now THAT would be the unraveling of NATO.

What's the point of NATO if you treat every country on the planet as if they were in NATO? That doesn't make any sense.

I ask again: in what world is invading Ukraine good for Putin and/or Russia? It's just dumb. Lowest wages in Europe. Have fun with that.

It's like Mexico: anyone here wonder why we don't invade Mexico, and annex it to the US? I sure don't.

NATO is unraveling because it is unable to agree on what to do, & hence -- is incapable of doing anything to deter Russia.

Estonia is Germany's NATO ally. Estonia has Russian troops on it's border, Germany does not.
Germany is usurping Estonia's prerogative to do what it decides is in it's interests to defend itself.
Now, every other NATO member who has German made arms is wondering if Germany will interfere in their own defense.

The UK is routing their RAF flights transporting arms to Ukraine around German airspace so they don't put Germany on the spot by asking for overflight clearance.

[Kismet]

Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine Refusal to permit Estonia to transfer artillery that originated in Germany points to strains in Western alliance over Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-bl ... 1642790772

What the heck kind of alliance is NATO anyway? With friends like Germany who needs enemies? Are these the same people you served with all those years?

No. It's their kids & grandkids, who came of age after the wall came down, they reunited with E Germany & never faced the threat of Soviet & Warsaw Pact forces on their border. The W Germans were as steadfast as any of our NATO allies, more so than some.

Putin is unraveling NATO without firing a shot.

I disagree. Ukraine isn't in NATO. This has nothing to do with NATO....Germany is correct.

If Germany refused arms to another NATO country? Now THAT would be the unraveling of NATO.

What's the point of NATO if you treat every country on the planet as if they were in NATO? That doesn't make any sense.

I ask again: in what world is invading Ukraine good for Putin and/or Russia? It's just dumb. Lowest wages in Europe. Have fun with that.

It's like Mexico: anyone here wonder why we don't invade Mexico, and annex it to the US? I sure don't.

NATO is unraveling because it is unable to agree on what to do, & hence -- is incapable of doing anything to deter Russia.

Estonia is Germany's NATO ally. Estonia has Russian troops on it's border, Germany does not.
Germany is usurping Estonia's prerogative to do what it decides is in it's interests to defend itself.
Now, every other NATO member who has German made arms is wondering if Germany will interfere in their own defense.

The UK is routing their RAF flights transporting arms to Ukraine around German airspace so they don't put Germany on the spot by asking for overflight clearance.

So, why is Germany part of NATO, then?
They must really need that Russian NatGas THAT much?

[PizzaSnake]

Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine Refusal to permit Estonia to transfer artillery that originated in Germany points to strains in Western alliance over Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-bl ... 1642790772

What the heck kind of alliance is NATO anyway? With friends like Germany who needs enemies? Are these the same people you served with all those years?

No. It's their kids & grandkids, who came of age after the wall came down, they reunited with E Germany & never faced the threat of Soviet & Warsaw Pact forces on their border. The W Germans were as steadfast as any of our NATO allies, more so than some.

Putin is unraveling NATO without firing a shot.

I guess standing up to Russia didn't matter.

Putin didn't try this sh!t on Trump.

Are you suggesting causation when it may well be correlation with Xi’s apparent increased aggression towards Taiwan?

Or maybe now that his modest investment in fragmenting the American body politic looks to have paid off handsomely, niw’s the time?

[MDlaxfan76]

Biden's clarification on his press conf "minor incursion" remark -- If any assembled Russian units move across the Ukranian border, that is an invasion = green light to send in the little green men.

I've never seen DW so opinionated about the US. Normally totally objective, host Brent Goff is exasperated with Biden over his comments the past 2 days & his staff's futile cleanup duty. He opened The Day by saying that Europe's & the world's reaction to Biden being inaugurated a year ago today has gone from a sense of relief to "good grief".

Putin is not just threatening Ukraine. He's accomplishing his goal of dividing NATO, demonstrating it's ineffectiveness & prompting it's unravelling.

And the four years of the Trump administration's -- and Trump's -- gladhanding Putin have been instrumental in getting us here. Isn't this essentially what Fiona Hill has been saying: that a strong, coordinated response from NATO is necessary or it will mean the end of any meaningful North Atlantic treat order? We'll see what comes from the talks with Lavrov today.

Can't help but sense that Salty's in favor of NATO failure and dissolution.
Blame it on the "Euroburghers" and Democrat POTUS...

I'd expect such a petty, vapid, vindictive, stupid response from you. This is personal for me. I'm invested.
I spent the most significant portion of my working career as part of NATO & shared in the pride we felt in winning the Cold War.
I feel NATO still has a place. We can't afford to lose it. We need a strong NATO as an ally, better able to defend Europe on their own, able & willing to join us as we pivot to contain China. That's why the fecklessness of the EUroburgers & Biden's stumbles trouble me.

Trump's gladhanding of Putin was face saving cover for Putin while, Trump strengthened NATO more than any post Cold War President has.
Ukraine is much better able to defend itself now & NATO's E flank is much better defended now than 5 years ago.
You predictably whine about Trump & ignore all the good work that Pompeo, Mattis, Esper, McMaster, O'brien & the Generals did to strengthen Ukraine & NATO.

Nothing would make me happier than to see Putin take an off ramp & back down.
If that happens, Biden, Blinken & NATO deserve great credit. It will mean our diplomacy succeeded & reestablish the US as leader of the western alliance & free world. After Afghanistan, the US & NATO desperately need a "win".

I fear the more likely outcome will be the annexation of the area in E Ukraine already under control of the Russian separatists & the coastal corridor which connects to Crimea, giving Russia control of the entire shoreline of the Sea of Azov. Biden's words appear to greenlight such a move.

First, I think you have every right to snap back at me.

I know you were "invested" in the effort versus the Soviets.

I don't know all the ins and outs of your career post service decades ago, but my sense is you have never been willing to recognize that Putin is a major adversary and you have been a constant apologist for Trump's "fecklessness" and fawning, while constantly placing 100% of the fault of NATO's lack of cohesion at the feet of the Europeans rather than on Putin himself masterfully playing a strategic game, and the fatigue from 20 years of unilateral decisions by the US in global affairs. Not "leadership", unilateralism and if you don't unquestioningly and docilely follow us, you're the bad guys...

Yes, your constant apologia of Trump, your disdain for US intelligence services, international organizations, the rule of law...yup, that bothers me a heck of a lot more than whether you have an accurate perspective on the current crisis. and it's complete BS that NATO was stronger, and certainly not more cohesive with Trump at the helm, both because of his collaboration with and encouragement of Putin and his disdain for working with the allies making up NATO. Of course it was weaker, less cohesive.

That all said, NATO is not repaired. It's not cohesive, most importantly because Putin has successfully engineered energy dependenc. Want to blame Merkel and the Germans for the decision to eliminate their nuclear capacities? Yup, I agree, big strategic mistake. But also because the US has failed to lead collaboratively and the Europeans can no longer rationally trust the US' commitment to NATO, given that for the first time ever in NATO's history we had a US President clearly not committed and that was embraced by a very large part of the US population...it's the Europeans' problem...

There's a heck of a lot we agree on, and its refreshing to see you want Putin to fail, for Biden and Blinken to succeed, and I also agree with your assessment of the more likely outcome, ugly as that is.

But I think it's complete BS that Putin wouldn't be making these moves about now had Trump been POTUS, given global dynamics and his own internal politics...the difference is that Trump would have been telling the Europeans and our fellow Americans that Putin has every right to Ukraine and the rest of Eastern Europe. Yup, that's what Trump actually thinks. And that's what he'd be pitching to us right now.

[a fan]

Estonia is Germany's NATO ally. Estonia has Russian troops on it's border, Germany does not.
Germany is usurping Estonia's prerogative to do what it decides is in it's interests to defend itself.

You have it backwards-----Estonia is failing to work with their NATO allies.

Or do you think Estonia can defend itself by sending some piddly artillery to Ukraine, a non-NATO country? That makes ZERO sense.

[get it to x]

...we should propose a comprehensive disarmament negotiation between NATO & Russia on a DMZ on NATO's E border & Russia's W border.

Let it drag on, sorting the details & providing Putin a face saving off ramp which he can spin as a victory domestically.

How about we stop admitting these border countries into NATO? That would be your buffer. Also, having a military "alliance" that is basically funded by American taxpayers where we can't reach agreement on "defense" issues with other members is pointless to begin with. It's become a "Marching and Chowder Society". I can't tell you how many friends I know that were pissed because they missed all of their NATO travel and per diem during Covid. It's a victim of it's own bloated bureaucracy.

[old salt]

Estonia is Germany's NATO ally. Estonia has Russian troops on it's border, Germany does not.
Germany is usurping Estonia's prerogative to do what it decides is in it's interests to defend itself.

You have it backwards-----Estonia is failing to work with their NATO allies.

Or do you think Estonia can defend itself by sending some piddly artillery to Ukraine, a non-NATO country? That makes ZERO sense.

Estonia is doing what they can to keep a fellow former Soviet republic from falling back under Russia's sway.
They realistically see themselves as Putin's next target. Their contribution is more symbolic than tactical. It's being done to shame their more wealthy & powerful NATO allies like France & Germany. If all of NATO would flood Ukraine with military assistance, there's less chance that it will be used.

[old salt]

...we should propose a comprehensive disarmament negotiation between NATO & Russia on a DMZ on NATO's E border & Russia's W border.

Let it drag on, sorting the details & providing Putin a face saving off ramp which he can spin as a victory domestically.

How about we stop admitting these border countries into NATO? That would be your buffer. Also, having a military "alliance" that is basically funded by American taxpayers where we can't reach agreement on "defense" issues with other members is pointless to begin with. It's become a "Marching and Chowder Society". I can't tell you how many friends I know that were ticked because they missed all of their NATO travel and per diem during Covid. It's a victim of it's own bloated bureaucracy.

If that is supposed to be at variance with me, you have not been following my post-Cold War critique of NATO & NATO expansion. ...I called it a Marching & Toasting society, which apparently was interpreted by some here as opposition to NATO rather than frustration over how it has deteriorated since the end of the Cold War & German unification.

[PizzaSnake]

Biden's clarification on his press conf "minor incursion" remark -- If any assembled Russian units move across the Ukranian border, that is an invasion = green light to send in the little green men.

I've never seen DW so opinionated about the US. Normally totally objective, host Brent Goff is exasperated with Biden over his comments the past 2 days & his staff's futile cleanup duty. He opened The Day by saying that Europe's & the world's reaction to Biden being inaugurated a year ago today has gone from a sense of relief to "good grief".

Putin is not just threatening Ukraine. He's accomplishing his goal of dividing NATO, demonstrating it's ineffectiveness & prompting it's unravelling.

And the four years of the Trump administration's -- and Trump's -- gladhanding Putin have been instrumental in getting us here. Isn't this essentially what Fiona Hill has been saying: that a strong, coordinated response from NATO is necessary or it will mean the end of any meaningful North Atlantic treat order? We'll see what comes from the talks with Lavrov today.

Can't help but sense that Salty's in favor of NATO failure and dissolution.
Blame it on the "Euroburghers" and Democrat POTUS...

I'd expect such a petty, vapid, vindictive, stupid response from you. This is personal for me. I'm invested.
I spent the most significant portion of my working career as part of NATO & shared in the pride we felt in winning the Cold War.
I feel NATO still has a place. We can't afford to lose it. We need a strong NATO as an ally, better able to defend Europe on their own, able & willing to join us as we pivot to contain China. That's why the fecklessness of the EUroburgers & Biden's stumbles trouble me.

Trump's gladhanding of Putin was face saving cover for Putin while, Trump strengthened NATO more than any post Cold War President has.
Ukraine is much better able to defend itself now & NATO's E flank is much better defended now than 5 years ago.
You predictably whine about Trump & ignore all the good work that Pompeo, Mattis, Esper, McMaster, O'brien & the Generals did to strengthen Ukraine & NATO.

Nothing would make me happier than to see Putin take an off ramp & back down.
If that happens, Biden, Blinken & NATO deserve great credit. It will mean our diplomacy succeeded & reestablish the US as leader of the western alliance & free world. After Afghanistan, the US & NATO desperately need a "win".

I fear the more likely outcome will be the annexation of the area in E Ukraine already under control of the Russian separatists & the coastal corridor which connects to Crimea, giving Russia control of the entire shoreline of the Sea of Azov. Biden's words appear to greenlight such a move.

First, I think you have every right to snap back at me.

I know you were "invested" in the effort versus the Soviets.

I don't know all the ins and outs of your career post service decades ago, but my sense is you have never been willing to recognize that Putin is a major adversary and you have been a constant apologist for Trump's "fecklessness" and fawning, while constantly placing 100% of the fault of NATO's lack of cohesion at the feet of the Europeans rather than on Putin himself masterfully playing a strategic game, and the fatigue from 20 years of unilateral decisions by the US in global affairs. Not "leadership", unilateralism and if you don't unquestioningly and docilely follow us, you're the bad guys...

Yes, your constant apologia of Trump, your disdain for US intelligence services, international organizations, the rule of law...yup, that bothers me a heck of a lot more than whether you have an accurate perspective on the current crisis. and it's complete BS that NATO was stronger, and certainly not more cohesive with Trump at the helm, both because of his collaboration with and encouragement of Putin and his disdain for working with the allies making up NATO. Of course it was weaker, less cohesive.

That all said, NATO is not repaired. It's not cohesive, most importantly because Putin has successfully engineered energy dependenc. Want to blame Merkel and the Germans for the decision to eliminate their nuclear capacities? Yup, I agree, big strategic mistake. But also because the US has failed to lead collaboratively and the Europeans can no longer rationally trust the US' commitment to NATO, given that for the first time ever in NATO's history we had a US President clearly not committed and that was embraced by a very large part of the US population...it's the Europeans' problem...

There's a heck of a lot we agree on, and its refreshing to see you want Putin to fail, for Biden and Blinken to succeed, and I also agree with your assessment of the more likely outcome, ugly as that is.

But I think it's complete BS that Putin wouldn't be making these moves about now had Trump been POTUS, given global dynamics and his own internal politics...the difference is that Trump would have been telling the Europeans and our fellow Americans that Putin has every right to Ukraine and the rest of Eastern Europe. Yup, that's what Trump actually thinks. And that's what he'd be pitching to us right now.

“ Yup, that's what Trump actually thinks.”

tRump “thinks” what Pootie tells him to think.

[MDlaxfan76]

Biden's clarification on his press conf "minor incursion" remark -- If any assembled Russian units move across the Ukranian border, that is an invasion = green light to send in the little green men.

I've never seen DW so opinionated about the US. Normally totally objective, host Brent Goff is exasperated with Biden over his comments the past 2 days & his staff's futile cleanup duty. He opened The Day by saying that Europe's & the world's reaction to Biden being inaugurated a year ago today has gone from a sense of relief to "good grief".

Putin is not just threatening Ukraine. He's accomplishing his goal of dividing NATO, demonstrating it's ineffectiveness & prompting it's unravelling.

And the four years of the Trump administration's -- and Trump's -- gladhanding Putin have been instrumental in getting us here. Isn't this essentially what Fiona Hill has been saying: that a strong, coordinated response from NATO is necessary or it will mean the end of any meaningful North Atlantic treat order? We'll see what comes from the talks with Lavrov today.

Can't help but sense that Salty's in favor of NATO failure and dissolution.
Blame it on the "Euroburghers" and Democrat POTUS...

I'd expect such a petty, vapid, vindictive, stupid response from you. This is personal for me. I'm invested.
I spent the most significant portion of my working career as part of NATO & shared in the pride we felt in winning the Cold War.
I feel NATO still has a place. We can't afford to lose it. We need a strong NATO as an ally, better able to defend Europe on their own, able & willing to join us as we pivot to contain China. That's why the fecklessness of the EUroburgers & Biden's stumbles trouble me.

Trump's gladhanding of Putin was face saving cover for Putin while, Trump strengthened NATO more than any post Cold War President has.
Ukraine is much better able to defend itself now & NATO's E flank is much better defended now than 5 years ago.
You predictably whine about Trump & ignore all the good work that Pompeo, Mattis, Esper, McMaster, O'brien & the Generals did to strengthen Ukraine & NATO.

Nothing would make me happier than to see Putin take an off ramp & back down.
If that happens, Biden, Blinken & NATO deserve great credit. It will mean our diplomacy succeeded & reestablish the US as leader of the western alliance & free world. After Afghanistan, the US & NATO desperately need a "win".

I fear the more likely outcome will be the annexation of the area in E Ukraine already under control of the Russian separatists & the coastal corridor which connects to Crimea, giving Russia control of the entire shoreline of the Sea of Azov. Biden's words appear to greenlight such a move.

First, I think you have every right to snap back at me.

I know you were "invested" in the effort versus the Soviets.

I don't know all the ins and outs of your career post service decades ago, but my sense is you have never been willing to recognize that Putin is a major adversary and you have been a constant apologist for Trump's "fecklessness" and fawning, while constantly placing 100% of the fault of NATO's lack of cohesion at the feet of the Europeans rather than on Putin himself masterfully playing a strategic game, and the fatigue from 20 years of unilateral decisions by the US in global affairs. Not "leadership", unilateralism and if you don't unquestioningly and docilely follow us, you're the bad guys...

Yes, your constant apologia of Trump, your disdain for US intelligence services, international organizations, the rule of law...yup, that bothers me a heck of a lot more than whether you have an accurate perspective on the current crisis. and it's complete BS that NATO was stronger, and certainly not more cohesive with Trump at the helm, both because of his collaboration with and encouragement of Putin and his disdain for working with the allies making up NATO. Of course it was weaker, less cohesive.

That all said, NATO is not repaired. It's not cohesive, most importantly because Putin has successfully engineered energy dependenc. Want to blame Merkel and the Germans for the decision to eliminate their nuclear capacities? Yup, I agree, big strategic mistake. But also because the US has failed to lead collaboratively and the Europeans can no longer rationally trust the US' commitment to NATO, given that for the first time ever in NATO's history we had a US President clearly not committed and that was embraced by a very large part of the US population...it's the Europeans' problem...

There's a heck of a lot we agree on, and its refreshing to see you want Putin to fail, for Biden and Blinken to succeed, and I also agree with your assessment of the more likely outcome, ugly as that is.

But I think it's complete BS that Putin wouldn't be making these moves about now had Trump been POTUS, given global dynamics and his own internal politics...the difference is that Trump would have been telling the Europeans and our fellow Americans that Putin has every right to Ukraine and the rest of Eastern Europe. Yup, that's what Trump actually thinks. And that's what he'd be pitching to us right now.

“ Yup, that's what Trump actually thinks.”

tRump “thinks” what Pootie tells him to think.

Let's just say he's 'suggestible'.

Useful idiot.