Better days? As these same players now work out a new situation, led by Angela Merkel (left), Vladimir Putin (next to her), and Barrack Obama, we need to remind ourselves of the Daily Mail's pictures including the one above, and their take on the last G-8 meeting, which suggests both who should lead this situation for the G-8 and who is closest to Putin.
Officially, it has been the greatest diplomatic shindig in the world. Unofficially? A stewpot of bubbling tensions, rivalries and downright loathing. G8 they call it. G-hate, more like.
Turn on Fox News, and almost nothing done by President Obama deserves anything but derison. The same can be said by the most vocal Republicans. They fault Obama, some going so far to claim that he is the cause of every major foreign conflagration faced by the world today.
Let's get a grip.
There is nothing done by Obama, including the small reduction in the Army, that has anything whatsoever to do with the current foreign relations issues, and the more the Republicans put on Obama the better he looks. Indeed, should Ukraine end up as anything at all significant to the United States other than what the Republicans apparently want, we would like to understand what that will be.
There is nothing done by Obama, including the small reduction in the Army, that has anything whatsoever to do with the current foreign relations issues, and the more the Republicans put on Obama the better he looks. Indeed, should Ukraine end up as anything at all significant to the United States other than what the Republicans apparently want, we would like to understand what that will be.
The biggest problem is that, to hear the Republicans speak, we should have troops on the Black Sea, aboard ships, waiting to invade the Crimea. Apart from that being a result that is totally crazy (what, we want a war with Russia?), it has no reality.
At least one Republican talking point, that a huge Army, even bigger than now, would stop problems around the world by its sheer size is equally absurd. Most of the problems have involved self-determination, including the situation in Ukraine where the principal issue is the disposition of an autonomous republic inside Ukraine with a majority of the population of Russian descent who speak Russian.
Do we want to resurrect the Cold War for this?
Do we want to resurrect the Cold War for this?
While it is no answer to allow Russia any slack on their invasion, in reality Putin had no choice. Crimea is essential to Russia from a strategic standpoint, and Ukraine essential from an economic standpoint. It is far better to quiet the peace, and seek a mutually satisfactory solution rather than forcing Russia's hand by treating them as nuts or worse. In his impromptu news conference today, Obama said that he understood Russia's situation. But he also said the way what was done was entirely wrong.
In the end, we cannot accomplish much of anything with huge expenditures for our armed forces, spending money we need in other areas of our economy. And we also will be able to moderate the language coming from Russia with appropriate diplomacy.
The problem with Obama's approach is that he is not acting in a way that is sufficiently diplomatic.
Instead, in a position that Republicans may favor, he is going largely on his own. He may speak with EU leaders, but this is more likely to be through surrogates. He should not be sending Kerry into Ukraine. And, on this one, he needs to let Angela Merkel lead.
Germany has far more to lose in this situation, and needs to take the lead. If anything, it is unlikely that Putin has anywhere close to as good a relationship with Obama, as seen in this quite revealing photograph, than he has with Angela Merkel, who was consistently walking with Putin during the last G-8 meeting.
Instead, in a position that Republicans may favor, he is going largely on his own. He may speak with EU leaders, but this is more likely to be through surrogates. He should not be sending Kerry into Ukraine. And, on this one, he needs to let Angela Merkel lead.
Germany has far more to lose in this situation, and needs to take the lead. If anything, it is unlikely that Putin has anywhere close to as good a relationship with Obama, as seen in this quite revealing photograph, than he has with Angela Merkel, who was consistently walking with Putin during the last G-8 meeting.
It is unclear why John Kerry is in Ukraine today. However, according to Obama's ongoing press statements just released, part of that discussion involves the amount of financial aid needed by Ukraine. The US certainly should not give any money by itself.
In the end, the G-7 will make the important decisions. And aid should be offered only through the G-8, if that is at all possible.
Any actions by the US alone, even perhaps Kerry's trip to Kyiv, could undermine an overall strategy best for everyone involved.
Any actions by the US alone, even perhaps Kerry's trip to Kyiv, could undermine an overall strategy best for everyone involved.
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