LogFAQs > #962049490

Zeus posted...

And the conflict in general makes the Biden administration look like shit. But the thing is since Biden came into office burning bridges with Russia -- after Obama burned bridge after bridge with Russia -- they have nothing to pull on now.

I don't think that's an accurate retelling. Obama's big thing was 'resetting relations' with Russia in his first few years. That did tone down the rhetoric for a while and resulted in a couple agreements: what really turned things around was the return of Putin to President after his Prime Minister years. Putin's defining schtick is nurturing cold war grievances to raise Russia's status and garner popularity at home. He has no real interest in visibly partnering with the West: he is cold and calculating and needs us as adversaries to stay in power.

Trump "built bridges" to Russia by admiring Putin's authoritarian style and by leading the US in an ineffective, divisive way. Putin liked that indeed (to the extent that, yes, he tried to help get him votes...although, no, there was probably no direct collusion). Putin didn't directly antagonize the US in those years - he didn't need to - he instead concentrated on moving into areas vacated by US leadership.

Now, the US has a crap hand on Ukraine and the whole world knows it. We can either:
1) Move NATO into Ukraine and offer WW3: not gonna happen. And shouldn't happen.
2) Move a few troops in to bluff that we would actually start WW3. That would clearly be a bluff, superpowers shouldn't bluff, and Ukraine unfortunately isn't worth it. We have made them no commitments.
3) Do what he's doing and call out Russia's crap with sanctions/etc...while not bluffing war.

He should stay on message with his NATO allies better, but otherwise he doesn't have any cards that he's not playing. Sucking up to Putin and "building bridges" isn't the way to go. The US is in the stronger position overall for most issues other than Ukraine: Putin needs to come to us if he doesn't want to lead a thuggish, sanctioned country. He will NEVER give up the old grievances, though: those are his core of his being.