Thursday’s announcement that the US is expelling 35 Russian diplomats and also ordering them out of a pair of long-owned diplomatic compounds fueled calls from top Russian MPs for retaliation, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reportedly proposed that they expel an identical number of US diplomats. Russian President Vladimir Putin said no.
Putin later released a statement saying Russia is not expelling anyone, and “would not descend to the level of irresponsible diplomacy” of the Obama Administration. He added that he was going to wait for steps to improve Russian-American relations with President-elect Donald Trump.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the Obama Administration ‘a group of embittered and dim-witted foreign policy losers,” presenting the expulsion from the diplomatic compounds, popular vacation sites for diplomats’ families, as an “anti-family” move.
Putin followed up his announcement that the US diplomats aren’t being expelled by announcing that he is inviting all the US diplomats, and their families, to the Kremlin for a big New Years party, and inviting diplomats’ children to a Christmas party (Russian Orthodox Christmas is on January 7).
Though Putin said he isn’t totally ruling out any retaliation for any US actions, as Obama’s “retaliation” may still be unfolding, it is clear Putin is trying to take the high road, remaining confident that Trump is going to reverse much of the action anyhow.
“…Obama Administration…foreign policy losers.”
Pretty much nailed that! One of the things “hope and change” led one to hope for was a major change from the Bushco policies towards the rest of the world. Major fail. Should have seen that coming when he started loading his Administration with Bushco leftovers and enablers, including Clinton and Kerry.
Don’t forget Gates in your list.
Truth is, Obama was the best hope your country ever had on good US/Russia relations. Read the RT article I posted today if you are interested in a rational discussion.
But you’ll also find in that article some questions on whether or not Trump will try to follow through with his promises of better US/Russia relations, and the reason why it probably won’t work even if he does try. And that’s a big “IF”.
Putin – as much as he is vilified in the USA MSM , is a well spoken and legitimate statesman….
I wish I could say the same for our elected officials in the USA who only know to publically proclaim their love for Israel..
To use an old saying, “Makes us look as cheap as a nickel on the counter waiting for change”.
Putin has once again schooled the United States on how a real leader behaves. I almost wish Trump was his puppet. He might learn something from a master.
comrade, here’s a preview for you because I like something about you? (not the nice breasts) Trump is going to become convinced that the Russians are bad guys and then he’s going to fall into line completely with the R party. And we both know comrade, that the R party isn’t going to dick around for ten seconds with the idea of cooperation with Putin/Russia.
Now take that and run with it comrade. If you base your thinking on that for the next couple of months you’re going to be well ahead of the game and looking back at all the fools around this place who are holding out hope with Trump.
And that doesn’t go good for just cooperation with Russia. It goes good for all the other phony promises Trump made that the R party could never live with. Which is pretty much everything he said that offered hope. LOL
luv from Canada for you comrade.
Don, Do you really think Trump will fold when that powder puff Lindsay Graham and his ilk pressure and confront Trump….????
Trump could have dumped the Putin nice talk pre- election for a few votes…. What will Graham offer Trump to stop being his own man??
A hot ride in the sack…??? Mmmmmm. I’m not so sure you’re right.
McGuy, read the article from RT news I’ve posted today and get back to me. It’s not exactly that Cohen is making my point for me so don’t worry about that. But it does give a lot of plausible explanations based on logical thinking on how Trump will act. And on foreign policy with Russia, regardless of how Trump will act, he will find both the D and R party coming together to kill any attempts he might want to make on US/Russia foreign policy. I’m just questioning whether or not he will even try.
Don,
You don’t get to be an asshole to other people commenting.
oh look, a responsible adult somehow became a world leader.
how quaint !
Go on Obama, I dare you to order that U.S. diplomats children can’t go to the Orthodox children’s Christmas party.
Doesn’t that make Obama very, very small compared with Putin?
Obama is such an embarrassment.
Obama set himself right up for that one. Came off looking like a child throwing a tantrum. The recriminations in Warshington over this fiasco must be flying thick and fast right now.
It’s always the black guy’s fault with you Americans isn’t it. That will change for a lot of you when Trump is the pres and the gov will be to blame. And man, did you mofos ever pick a winner with that clown show! Good job he’s pure white, for his sake at least. That is, unless the crazies get out their guns and go huntin for orange hair?
luv from Canada.
Yes, Americans hate the black guy so much that they elected him president. Twice.
Doesn’t really matter anymore Thomas, even though it’s undoubtedly true that the R party used Obama’s race more than anything else to destroy him. Probably fair game too because no level of stooping is too low in US politics. Maybe even other’s politics.
But the thing everybody is missing is that Trump is not going to take a stand on this issue when he’s in a position to do so. All his crazy assed promises he made to get himself elected are going to vanish into thin air if they aren’t consistent with his party. And as for what those promises are, one only needs to look at the priorities of his party. Peaceful relations with Russia? Come on now, is that consistent with the R party? Deportations? Nope, not that either. Your country’s industry or agriculture isn’t viable without cheap labour. Jobs for Americans? Nope, they want too much money and that’s the last thing a corporate billionaire is going to mess with!
Here’s the key Thomas, and I think you probably get it too. You just haven’t found a way to express it. Americans were disenfranchized with the existing system and Trump played on the anti-establishment movement. Except, the reason for it all was because the American way of greedy capitalism won’t work anymore. What is needed is “socially responsible” capitalism which works for all the people. And so, instead of electing a ‘socialist’ leaning president, they got snookered into electing the exact opposite! Exact Thomas! And now there will be a period of learning until the people get another opportunity to get themselves snookered again. Because, they aren’t going to figure it out when they are being bombarded with pap telling them that the American way can still work.
I think you can perhaps adapt your libertarian leaning to fall in line with these truths Thomas. I mean, dawg knows the libertarian bent isn’t going to do anything for you. In fact, these truths not being understood are the biggest reason for the invention of libertarianism, etc. The people refuse the truth and then they go out searching for some kind of fringe political agenda to answer all their questions. Isn’t that really what you are doing too?
“Black guy’s fault with you Americans”?
What planet do you live on?
1. Obama is not black. He’s a mulatto. He’s 50% white genetically, as well as being 100% WASP by upbringing.
2. What makes you imagine I am American? I am not only not American, I’m not even white, I;m a member of that section of the world’s population which can be legally bombed by Obama on suspicion simply because I am a military aged male with a particular skin colour.
3. The only good thing about Trump is that he’s not Killary, and (probably) won’t start WWIII.
Now go back to the drawing board, and do a little basic research before spouting off. Thank you.
I’ve done the research and I’ve posted above an article that says a lot in agreement with my ideas on Trump. Now let’s see if you’re up to the challenge of understanding what Stephen Cohen is saying.
(in the US, all people who have any negro blood are labelled as black if the colouring is detectable. I think you know what that means)(they don’t get to be white)
Since I’m not American, what the hell is the point of your reference to anyone with any “negro” blood being black in the Imperialist States? And where is your article from Cohen? *I* can’t see it.
The article by RT which is a conversation between their Sophie and Cohen is the first post on this page. That’s the important part that you will learn from if you take the time to read it.
As for people who are of mixed race black/white in the US, they are branded and labelled as negro. Or perhaps more correctly, ‘not white’. I will be happy to debate that but first the important stuff.
And then too, after you read it you can stick your neck out and make your guess on Trump standing firm on friendly relations with Russia. I’m on record that he won’t because he wouldn’t stand a chance. You’ll get my reasoning why from the article. But that’s not my only evidence on the question.
Don,
Have you ever BEEN to the US, or do you get all your ideas about it from 1960s television reruns? Those seem to be the only two options, given that you clearly haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about.
Looks like those Russians play that dimensional chess better
Hooray for Putin! Let’s hope Trump is as smart as Putin when Trump comes to China and Israel where Trump seems to be off on the wrong foot before he has even been inaugurated. We can only wait and hope for the best.
Yeah…? Sure…… If you say so..?? Buy in the morning when your sober we’ll go over this again.??
O.k. then, I’m sober again so read the piece I posted from RT above. Not suggesting that it agrees with my analysis 100% but it’s pretty enlightening. Mainly in making the point that even if Trump tries to improve relations with Russia, the entire US has adopted a culture of hate toward Russia/Putin. I think a lot of it being said by Cohen is brilliant.
Jan 1, 2017 Putin’s 2017 NYE Address: Full Speech
In his annual New Year’s Eve address to the nation, traditionally held a couple of minutes before the Kremlin bells strike midnight, President Putin talks about the year that’s been, as well as hopes for the future.
https://youtu.be/j6o0LTEmeLM
For those who can read and want a few ideas on what Trump will maybe do and not do, this is the best one published to date.
https://www.rt.com/shows/sophieco/366442-trump-promises-foreign-policy/
Stephen Cohen of the “Nation” is answering to Sophie at RT. It leaves lots of questions but it also contains some very intelligent guesses by Cohen. A good basis for the beginning of an intellectual discussion. I think there are a few on this site that are capable of doing that.
So, basically, you have no arguments except repeating that everyone should read this RT piece…which, basically, says that Trump will face opposition if he wants a treaty, but can do whatever he wants short of a treaty? And you intend to use this to somehow “prove” that Obama – who sent TOW missiles to the jihadi cannibals, who in 2013 came within 24 hours of attacking Syria on fake pretences, who is in his last days in office desperately trying to ruin relations with Russia on equally fake pretences – would be a “better” hope for improving relations than Trump, who has openly said he wants to cooperate with Russia?
How does that work, exactly?
Once again, you brought up the “black guy” argument. Since it refers to America, and since I am not American, I don’t see any need to pretend that Obama is black. And even if he were, how does it matter? You don’t stop being a child-droning, terrorist-funding, Ukranazi-empowering, nation-bombing mass-murdering blood soaked war criminal just because you’re black.