WALL STREET JOURNAL: …The pro-Russian activists show all the earmarks of having had military training, the general wrote. Their weapons and equipment are mainly Russian army issue, which they carry with military discipline. Their use of tear gas and stun grenades in taking buildings showed training inconsistent with a spontaneously generated local militia.
Too bad Mr. Obama showed none of the same candor about these military facts. In his press conference the President never blamed Russia for the unrest in Ukraine or said Russian troops were on the ground. He never mentioned Crimea, which seems to have been banished from U.S. talking points now that Mr. Putin has annexed the peninsula. Instead Mr. Obama sounded like a pundit analyzing the possibilities of diplomacy, with more threats of further sanctions if Mr. Putin escalates.
All of this continues the pattern of Mr. Obama and Europe underestimating the Russian strongman. They pretend he is amenable to diplomacy or afraid of threats, but neither has deterred Mr. Putin from marching west. Even when Mr. Putin openly declares his goal by declaring eastern Ukraine to be part of historic Russia, Mr. Obama prefers to ignore it… (more)
EDITOR: The article is nonsense. During a long drive we listened to the President’s press conference. He expressed skepticism about the negotiations and was critical about Russian aggression and resolute that sanctions will be applied. What else is supposed to say?
What else can we do? There is no use bluffing that we will use force. We won’t. And we shouldn’t.
Moreover, we don’t need to. Patience can be a virtue.
Putin can win a short term battle but he is leading Russia into a struggle with the West that will be disastrous for Russia as sanctions are applied. Either Putin recognizes that and settles for Crimea or this will be another case of a single person redirecting history.
Given another two years, and its natural gas dominance will be at an end. When Russia’s economy is further weakened and Russia is alienated from Europe, who will be its allies as the Chinese begin to annex portions of Russia’s east?
