Understanding an enemy doesn't make them a friend. It should be for the purpose of defeating the enemy. Too often it is for the purpose of projecting our hopes on an enemy.
"Understanding" Russia must not be for the purpose of conceding their objectives:
There is no reset with Russia to be had unless the United States is willing to depart from Europe altogether and return to the status of a regional hemispheric power, conceding the global ocean to Russia and China. Until the Trump administration accepts this reality, the process will drag on, yielding more fissures within the NATO alliance and greater instability in Europe.
People keep saying we should "understand" Russia's need for a buffer space on their western borders with Europe. Nobody ever seems to "understand" America's need to keep Russia as far east as possible in Europe.
That author's basis for a "reset" on Russia's terms would abandon America's need for a European shield to prevent the Atlantic from being a path to attack America.
Although I suspect Trump is in practice playing "good cop" to Europe's "bad cop" opposition to Russia (and keep in mind America still helps Ukraine with weapons purchased by others and by sharing intelligence) to get Russia to end its hostility to the West, many of his supporters look at Russia with rose-colored glasses.
This "reality"-based retreat will work no better than Obama's "reset" or Bush 43's belief he saw Putin's soul as a basis for common ground. At some point Putin's refusal to cooperate will generate open hostility from Trump. Will Putin base his foreign policy on reality first?
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
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NOTE: I made the image with Bing.
