Before expulsions, a brick-by-brick hardening of U.S. stance towards Russia

[webfact]

Before expulsions, a brick-by-brick hardening of U.S. stance towards Russia

By Phil Stewart and Matt Spetalnick

 

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - America's most sweeping expulsion of Russian diplomats since the Cold War may have seemed like a dramatic escalation in Washington's response to Moscow, but the groundwork for a more confrontational U.S. posture had been taking shape for months -- in plain sight.

 

While President Donald Trump's conciliatory rhetoric towards Moscow has dominated headlines, officials at the U.S. State Department, Pentagon and White House made a series of lower-profile decisions over the past year to counter Russia around the world - from Afghanistan to North Korea to Syria.

 

The State Department earlier in March announced plans to provide anti-tank missiles to Ukraine to defend against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Trump's predecessor as president, Barack Obama, had declined to do so over fears of provoking Moscow.

 

In Syria last month, the U.S. military killed or injured as many as 300 men working for a Kremlin-linked private military firm after they attacked U.S. and U.S.-backed forces. The White House, meanwhile, firmly tied Russia to deadly strikes on civilians in Syria's eastern Ghouta region.

 

Both the White House and Pentagon's top policy documents unveiled in January portrayed Russia as an adversary that had returned to the centre of U.S. national security planning.

 

That was all before the United States said on Monday it would expel 60 Russian diplomats, joining governments across Europe in punishing the Kremlin for a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain that they have blamed on Moscow.

 

Russia has denied any involvement.

 

With Monday's announcement, however, it was unclear whether Trump is promoting - or just acquiescing to - the tougher U.S. stance developed by his advisers and generals.

 

Trump's critics sought to portray him as a reluctant actor in any get-tough approach to Russia, even though one senior administration official described him as involved "from the beginning" in the expulsions of Russian diplomats.

 

"It is disturbing how grudgingly he came to this decision," said U.S. Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

 

Still, the Trump administration's actions run counter to widespread perception, fuelled by the president's own statements, that Trump has softened America's stance towards Russian President Vladimir Putin amid a U.S. investigation into Moscow's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

 

Regardless of the tough actions, the inconsistent messaging may undermine Washington's strategy to deter Moscow's aggressive behaviour, experts warn.

 

"U.S. signalling is all undercut by Trump's lack of seriousness about Russia," said Andrew Weiss, a Russia expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

 

Just last Tuesday, Trump congratulated Putin on his re-election, drawing sharp criticism from fellow Republicans.

 

But in another sign of mixed messaging, Trump two days later named John Bolton, a strident Russia hawk, to become his national security adviser.

 

DOWNWARD SPIRAL

 

Although the nerve agent attack was the official trigger for the U.S. expulsions, Trump administration officials warned that the attack should not be viewed in isolation, citing a series of destabilising and aggressive actions by Moscow.

 

In Afghanistan, Trump's top commander on the ground accused Russia again last week of arming Taliban militants.

 

On North Korea, Trump himself told Reuters in January that Russia was helping Pyongyang evade United Nations sanctions.

 

And less than two weeks ago, the Trump administration imposed the first sanctions against Russia for election meddling and cyber attacks, though it held off on punishing business magnates close to Putin.

 

U.S. officials and experts widely expect ties to further deteriorate, at least in the near term, and caution that Russia's next steps could extend far beyond retaliation against American diplomats.

 

"The risk of escalation doesn't just come from tit-for-tat punishments," said Matthew Rojansky, a Russia expert at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington, citing the potential for more aggressive moves from the Middle East to the cyber realm.

 

U.S. officials have said the Trump administration still seeks to avoid a complete rupture in bilateral relations. One official said Russian cooperation was still sought to address thorny diplomatic issues like North Korea and Iran.

 

(Additional reporting by John Walcott; editing by Mary Milliken and G Crosse)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-27

[YetAnother]

main photo looks like Trump is trying to think

[1Gringo]

impossible.  you'd need a brain to be able to think.

[Scott]

This is a discussion form.   It's not Facebook.   If you have something to say, then please feel free to post your opinion.   The posting of nonsense meme's is not a discussion.   It's simply trolling.   This is especially true when only a meme is posted. 

 

One post removed.  

[Jingthing]

Even worse than the cold war?

I don't know about that but definitely different and definitely BAD.

 

 

Quote

 

A new cold war with Russia? No, it’s worse than that

New York Times|

Mar 27, 2018,

MOSCOW — The expulsion of scores of Russian diplomats from the United States and countries across Europe and beyond has raised, yet again, the question of whether the world is veering back where it was during the Cold War. The alarming answer from some in Russia is: No, but the situation is in some ways even more unpredictable. 

 

 

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/a-new-cold-war-with-russia-no-its-worse-than-that/articleshow/63477706.cms

[mrwebb8825]

Once again President Trump is doing the right things and the only comments are schoolyard mockery of a file photo from nearly a year ago.

Everyone is always all Gun-Ho when it comes to attacking the Russians but get nervous over restarting and escalating the cold war of old. Well, guess what folks, those people are mostly dead. There was NO cyber space during the cold war. This is a whole new world and can NOT be approached in the same old way that didn't work out so well last time.

It always makes me laugh when "Experts" are quoted. If they're really experts, why are they unemployed and taking grant money to be associated with "Think Tanks"? Doesn't seem like their collective "Thinking" has amounted to a hill of beans in the last 30+ years.

Once again, we have a strong argument for the retirement of many members of the house and senate who wax nostalgic about their first ride in granddad's new model-T, fresh from the Ford factory. Time for some new blood in the old seats that don't need help finding their glasses or turning on their computers.

Until that happens, we're lucky to have a President that is not doing the same old crap and expecting different results.

[Morch]

9 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

Once again President Trump is doing the right things and the only comments are schoolyard mockery of a file photo from nearly a year ago.

Everyone is always all Gun-Ho when it comes to attacking the Russians but get nervous over restarting and escalating the cold war of old. Well, guess what folks, those people are mostly dead. There was NO cyber space during the cold war. This is a whole new world and can NOT be approached in the same old way that didn't work out so well last time.

It always makes me laugh when "Experts" are quoted. If they're really experts, why are they unemployed and taking grant money to be associated with "Think Tanks"? Doesn't seem like their collective "Thinking" has amounted to a hill of beans in the last 30+ years.

Once again, we have a strong argument for the retirement of many members of the house and senate who wax nostalgic about their first ride in granddad's new model-T, fresh from the Ford factory. Time for some new blood in the old seats that don't need help finding their glasses or turning on their computers.

Until that happens, we're lucky to have a President that is not doing the same old crap and expecting different results.

 

The President seems to be the epitome of the Grumpy Old Men generation. Somehow his attitudes are considered "fresh". Oh well. Not even getting into his grasp of technology or technological developments, their relevance and effects. As for the nonsense about "Think Tanks" - if one gets paid for it, how's one "unemployed"? Other than that, some offer very competitive salaries, and in many instances, it doesn't even preclude holding other posts/jobs.

[mrwebb8825]

7 minutes ago, Morch said:

As for the nonsense about "Think Tanks" - if one gets paid for it, how's one "unemployed"? Other than that, some offer very competitive salaries, and in many instances, it doesn't even preclude holding other posts/jobs.

https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/think-tank-research/

 

Structured similar to the Clinton Foundation or a church:

https://onthinktanks.org/articles/how-think-tanks-work-analyzing-budgets/

 

"Each researcher is responsible for “bringing in” funding (and projects) and their salary is entirely variable and dependent on their success."

 

So, ok, they're employed much in the same way a telemarketer or door-to-door salesman is. Doesn't mean they are "Experts".  

[Morch]

26 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/think-tank-research/

 

Structured similar to the Clinton Foundation or a church:

https://onthinktanks.org/articles/how-think-tanks-work-analyzing-budgets/

 

"Each researcher is responsible for “bringing in” funding (and projects) and their salary is entirely variable and dependent on their success."

 

So, ok, they're employed much in the same way a telemarketer or door-to-door salesman is. Doesn't mean they are "Experts".  

 

Irrelevant waffle. And the line "quoted" does not appear on them links. I've no idea where you got the notion that "bringing in funds" is an integral part of this, or that it in any way represents "telemarketing". Could be true, perhaps, for some think tanks, certainly not all - especially not the more established/influential. As for expertise - some definitely are, some less so. Your wide brush attempt is nonsensical, at best.

[Expatthailover]

1 hour ago, mrwebb8825 said:

Once again President Trump is doing the right things and the only comments are schoolyard mockery of a file photo from nearly a year ago.

Everyone is always all Gun-Ho when it comes to attacking the Russians but get nervous over restarting and escalating the cold war of old. Well, guess what folks, those people are mostly dead. There was NO cyber space during the cold war. This is a whole new world and can NOT be approached in the same old way that didn't work out so well last time.

It always makes me laugh when "Experts" are quoted. If they're really experts, why are they unemployed and taking grant money to be associated with "Think Tanks"? Doesn't seem like their collective "Thinking" has amounted to a hill of beans in the last 30+ years.

Once again, we have a strong argument for the retirement of many members of the house and senate who wax nostalgic about their first ride in granddad's new model-T, fresh from the Ford factory. Time for some new blood in the old seats that don't need help finding their glasses or turning on their computers.

Until that happens, we're lucky to have a President that is not doing the same old crap and expecting different results.

Here's me thinking that at 71 yo dt was one of the oldest politicians in dc.

But no he is new guard and new wave. His fresh thinking etc will lead us to a brand new world. Ubited states of nirvana here we come.

John Bolton is clearly going to be at the vanguard of all of this

[Jingthing]

New wave, new schmave.