Visiting Moscow on Monday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) called for increased dialogue with Russian officials, saying that even though the two nations aren’t friends, they share a number of common interests.
Sen. Paul met with a number of Russian officials, and invited MPs from the Russian Foreign Affairs Committee to come to the US for meetings. Paul also told reporters that there are hopes to have meetings in a neutral third country.
Russian foreign affairs chairman Konstantin Kosachev says that no plans on meetings have been finalized, but that he hoped such a meeting was possible to arrange before the end of the year.
Sen. Paul said he visited to show Russians that there are “many Americans who want to have diplomacy, that want to have engagement.” The timing of this visit is key, as a number of US lawmakers are trying to impose new sanctions on Russia, and resisting diplomacy.
I’m waiting to hear the screams of “collusion, collusion!”
https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1027186813587337216
Well “Bully!” for Rand Paul. At least one of the politicians in Washington is showing himself NOT to be a complete loon like the rest…
Did you miss out a “not”?
Thank you for the correction… 🙂
With regards to security of Russia after the Mongols were decisively driven away there have always been four weak spots. The Polish plains which were used by von Bock’s forces in 1941. Bessarabia/Moldova from which von Rundstet’s armies attacked Lvov. Landings on the Baltic coast to threaten Novgorod (the Swedes!) and now also St. Petersburg. And the Black Sea underbelly.
Putin and his successors are very unlikely to attack Poland or the Baltic states as long as NATO exists. However Putin does want to “drive NATO” Westward away from Russia’s borders as much as he can.
The potential flash points are Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova.
Engagement with Russia will revolve on the issue of how much Washington which is still the command center of NATO is willing to retrench NATO from Russia’s Western borders without alarming Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and Sweden at least.
The Russians will want to know answers to these issues. If they do not get them they will report to Putin: the Americans are not serious.
Russia now has only one good ice-free port: Sevastopol (Vladivostok is not ice fee). That isolation is one reason why Russian trade with the world is puny compared to that of Europe or China which have many excellent ports on navigable rivers. Hence one of the major issues will always be: how can one assist Russia to securely improve its ability to produce and export.
The first targets will be nearby: Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey.
Next the Middle East trough Iran! Russia has a port on the Caspian Sea and the Volga river: Astrakhan. Iranian ports on that sea are Bandar-e Anzali (important for Iran) and Nowshahr (also an active dual-use port).
Perhaps you can see now how stupid it is to throw Iran under the bus when it can be of help to Russia.
Paul and others should also discuss with the Russians how they can be helped with exporting the products of an industry that must still be recreated. That will not be easy.
Paul, next time invite Russian and Iranian lawmakers. They can do a lot of good for both countries. Of course we would have to end our total isolation of Iran.
Putin and Russia have no designs on the countries in question. Notice that Putin cut Russia’s defense budget.. In fact, the US increased it’s defense budget more than Russia’s ENTIRE defense budget.
The bloated US military budget is just another subsidy for the MIC and a jobs program so members of Congress can go back to their States and districts and pretend that they are getting something back for the voters they have ripped off.
Looks like Rand found his balls again. Wonder how long it’ll take him to lose em this time.