Is Putin In Control?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited a construction site of the Crimean Bridge which is designed to connect the Kerch and Taman peninsulas and is going to be the longest bridge in Russia. March, 2018. Photo: Tatiana Kanunnikova, Crimean Bridge press office

Politico: ‘Putin is in control’

Europe stands by as Russian president goes after Ukraine.

BERLIN — Chalk another one up for Vlad.

By the time Western officials had figured out what and where the Kerch Strait was, the Russian leader had sewn up his naval operation, taking around two dozen Ukrainian sailors prisoner (shooting and wounding at least three of them), and impounded their vessels. Not bad for a Sunday outing.

Meanwhile, over in the EU cocoon, Germans debated whether the United Nations refugee compact would be legally binding and the French squabbled over the price of gasoline. And the U.S.? Lost somewhere in Trumpland.

In case there were any lingering doubts over the efficacy of Western efforts to rein in Russia, Moscow’s latest aggression made it pretty clear that the attempts to coax Vladimir Putin into de-escalating the confrontation with Ukraine have failed. No degree of sanctions, German-led “dialogue,” or even genuflection has made much of an impression on the Russian leader.

Arguably, the situation has gotten worse; the more brazen Putin becomes, the more helpless the West appears.

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WNU Editor: Ukraine President Poroshenko put that question (Is Putin In Control?) to the test this weekend .... sending 3 small naval boats knowing that they would be spotted by Russian naval forces and intercepted. The end result .... at least for now on this incident .... Putin is definitely in control. What does not help is that Ukraine and the government is deeply divided, and Western Europe .... mired with its own crisis from Brexit to riots in France .... have no stomach to confront Russia right now.