Russia should be contained. But let's not mistakenly think of them as our main enemy. God help us but I think "Smart Diplomacy" is returning.
Seriously, is that Obama Reset forgotten already?
After President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20, some elements of U.S. policy toward Russia will change immediately. No longer will the president of the United States seek to befriend Russian President Vladimir Putin, as President Donald Trump did throughout his tenure.
I guess this "Reset" between Russia's invasion of Georgia and Russia's invasion of Ukraine didn't happen:
For God's sake, Russia's "rise" under Putin is a "dead cat bounce." The Fuck-Up Fairy has taken up residence in Moscow.
Russia is the weakening junior partner of the Peer-Level Axis of Evil. We should want to split Russia from China:
As I've noted, Russia's hostility to NATO makes more sense if you see it as disguising their appeasement of the far stronger China to protect Russia's Far East from China's claims to reverse the last reminders of a "century of humiliation."
And worse for Russia, while detente with NATO would allow Russia to consider their European territory as a safe rear area when confronting China, NATO will be of no help against China directly. Despite their paranoia, Russians surely recognize that a NATO that has been reluctant to defend new NATO states in the east will not extend its defensive shield all the way to the Amur River.
So oppose China. And oppose Russia. But don't publicly talk like they are allies. Instead work quietly to sow divisions in a Chinese-Russian relationship that has a lot of problems to overcome before being an alliance that can harm America and our allies.
With luck and quiet work, they'll be happy to glare at each other as the more dangerous close threat as they have in the past.
Russia needs American friendship. Don't bid for Russian friendship in the mistaken belief that Russia is the main threat. While Putin is in power, we can't entice Russia to sanity. Yet we should not push Russia closer to China with pointless public hostility to Russia.
Although honestly, with Trump gone I can't imagine Democrats maintaining their sudden and unnatural hostility to Moscow.
Still, this bit from the article is confusing:
And the White House’s rhetoric about the United States’ transatlantic allies will shift markedly; the era of berating NATO will end this week.
"Berating NATO?" Seriously? Despite public good will expressed to Putin, Trump reinforced NATO defenses in the east from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. And his "berating" was mostly pushing NATO European states to meet their 2014 pledge to spend 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024. Trump strengthened NATO.
How would letting up on pushing NATO to spend more on defense part of a renewed hostility toward Russia?
The end of "berating" largely will consist of NATO not making more progress on that spending front while America says "That'll be fine." Just as public hostility to Russia ramps up! Smart Diplomacy, welcome back!
Oh, but I suppose I can eagerly await that priority of "liberal norms and democratic values" in our foreign policy when it comes to China and Iran, too. Right?
