Sunday, February 12, 2017

Is President Trump's Policy For Better Relations With Russia The Right One?

A woman passes a billboard showing a pictures of US president-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Danilovgrad, Montenegro, November 16, 2016. REUTERS/Stevo Vasiljevic

Lawrence Solomon, National Post: Trump is right to warm to Putin. Russia, U.S. are more naturally friends than enemies

President Trump wants to hit it off with Vladimir Putin, hoping to make Russia a friend of the United States. He’s right to try. Contrary to the common perception that Russia is a natural enemy of the U.S., Russia is a natural friend . There’s no reason to believe they can’t get along in future, and every reason to believe they can.

Aside from the decades that Russia was communist, no country over America’s long history has been a more faithful friend, particularly in times of need. Even before American independence, Russia under its great monarch, Catherine the Great, defied Britain by trading directly with the American colonies, in violation of the mercantile system Britain then imposed. During the American War of Independence, Russia — which had been an ally of Britain’s — refused British requests of military aid, choosing instead to finance the colonies through continued trade, to keep sea lanes open for navigation and to use its diplomatic leverage to help the colonies obtain a favourable peace.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The alternative .... worsening of relations followed by a new Cold War .... is a nightmare that we do not need to revisit again. But while I do expect both men to "hit it off" well .... the hard issues like sanctions and Ukraine will time to solve. Fortunately .... for the moment .... President Trump's willingness to keep an open mind is resonating positively in Moscow, and that is the necessary first step for better ties with Russia.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

The U.S. won the last Cold War.

The USSR fell apart and was shorn of its conquests like Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

B.Poster said...

Aizino,

Now Lithuania and Estonia are boils on our behind. We were stupid enough to invite this.

The US did mot "win" Cold War 1. More accurately an end to Cold War 1 was negotiated. We DO NOT need Cold War 2. If DJT and VP can negotiate an end to this, this would be good for EVERYONE.