How to Handle Putin...and How Not To

Update: July 2017 - Donald Trump's European visit to attend the G20 conference is over, as is his first one-on-one meeting with Russia's leader Vladimir Putin. Unfortunately, this trip included:

• Mr. Trump's whining about the U.S. news media (reinforcing the world's perception of Mr. Trump as being an insecure bully)
• His description of meeting the Russian strongman as being "an honor" (the freedom loving opponents of Mr. Putin weren't pleased to hear that statement),
• His daughter sitting in for him at a G20 session with the other world leaders (an action that many critics of both US political parties have described as being similar to that of a banana republic dictator),
• His pressing Mr. Putin "hard" twice on Russia's cyber interference in the 2016 U.S. elections before believing Mr. Putin's assertion that there was nothing to this contention (despite the unanimous conclusion of multiple U.S. intelligence agencies that the Russians were, in fact, involved), and
• His agreement with Mr. Putin to establish a joint cyber security task force (among the reactions to this idea was that of Senator Lindsay Graham, R-SC: "This isn't the dumbest idea I've ever heard, but it is close.")

December 2016 - If the issue wasn't so serious, it would be quite amusing to watch Republicans try and figure out what the party's position should be regarding Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin. After invading the Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014, there was consensus among virtually all Americans, including the GOP, that Putin was a tyrant who was trying to put back together the old USSR by any means necessary. He was compared to Hitler and, after shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, even the usually cautious Europeans had had enough and they signed onto the sanctions imposed on various Russian entities and individuals by President Obama.

(image from getty)

But then along came Donald. For whatever reason(s), Donald Trump has sung the praises of Mr. Putin, much to the chagrin of most Republicans, with John McCain, Lindsay Graham, and Paul Ryan being the most outspoken in their condemnation of the Russian strongman.

Some believe Mr. Trump's business interests and those of his friends and family have caused Mr. Trump to try and cozy up to Mr. Putin. Others suggest, for certain psychological reasons, that Donald is drawn to what he views as Mr. Putin's "strength". Still others fear that Mr. Trump sees in Mr. Putin's behavior something that he wishes to emulate. And many wonder if some past behavior of Mr. Trump's is known to the Russians and is being held over his head.

By all indications the sanctions imposed by Mr. Obama and the Europeans have been working. (We'll be adding more detail on the sanctions later.) And with Hillary Clinton having agreed with President Obama on how to handle the Russian leader, it is no wonder that Mr. Putin did everything he felt he could get away with to help defeat Mrs. Clinton in the 2016 Presidential race. We're bound to hear more about Russia's meddling, not only in the U.S. elections, but in European elections as well.

For his part, Mr. Trump has downplayed the impact of the sanctions and, in what has become his all too usual habit of disputing any facts that he disagrees with, has said he doesn't believe the multiple U.S. intelligence agencies who have found evidence of Russia's election interference. He also does not believe that Republicans in Congress should carry through with their proposed investigations of this election interference.

As with most issues, no one knows what positions Mr. Trump will take regarding Russia once he is inaugurated. We hope he continues to keep the pressure on Mr. Putin. While it is important to keep communications open as well, Mr. Putin's behavior in recent years does not warrant lifting any of the sanctions currently in place or treating Mr. Putin in a more favorable way.

More to come…..