Next week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be heading to Russia for a rare high-profile visit with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. This will be the highest-level talks between the US and Russia in 10 months.
The visit will take place in Sochi, a resort town along the Black Sea. State Department officials say Pompeo intends to raise the “aggressive and destabilizing” actions Russia is taking worldwide.
In theory that probably means Pompeo brow-beating Russia over how Ukraine hasn’t managed to crush the ethnic Russian region along the Russian border, something the US has long had a problem with.
The bigger focus, realistically, will be Venezuela. The Trump Administration has been threatening to invade Venezuela for months, something Russia has loudly opposed, and Russia will definitely reiterate opposition to that.
That ought to improve our relationship significantly.
Who invited Pompass, the USA’s top diplomat? Why would Pres. Putin bother to accept such a completely intransigent lying accuser? If SoS Pompass is forced to listen, not talk, there could be headway. Has it ever happened?
Who invited Pompass? The most serious, intelligent people running the USA, today- that’s who – Pompass himself, Mad Dog Bolton, Dirt-Bag Eliot, and the Clown POTUS himself. The only question is – will Putin have more patience than Kim and subject himself to more than 15 minutes of pompous stupidity and threats.
I know that many in Putin’s team find him too patient, but there must be some limit. How can anybody actually listen to Pompass, or Bolton, or Trump whose contact with reality or humanity is very thin?
The US needs this done.
Pompeo will mess it up in the hawkish neocon way.
Meanwhile, Dems will scream “treason” for talking with the Russians, in the pure Red Baiting redux of Russia-gate.
We are going to look like fools, actually, we’ll be fools.
Hopefully,there is still some ability to listen left, not only talk. Very appropriate Russian message — let’s chat, but not in Moscow. It will be foolish to expect anything useful out of the talks.
Our financial aristocracy has decided. Push back against any changes to the world architecture. Thus, Russia in Syria, changed geoitical orientation of Turkey, obvious pivoting of Iraq ro both China and Russia, loss of influence on Saudi Arabia, and Red Sea alliance of Egylt, Sudan and Saudi Arabia is increasingly independent of US wishes for end-game in Yemen. Change in Pakistan, getting close to Turkey, Iran AND Saudi Arabia. Modi is back — not an ideal situation in India either.
So, where to start. From two ends — China on economy, Russia on geopolitics. Russia will be given some very generous offer of being allowed to get out of Syria, and not support Iran. For as ling as Russia is in the Middle East — the dynamic will work against US. This US cannot fix without making Russia look weak — by not protecting Iran. Wbat is Pompous trying to achieve? I suppose an incident that will just “ force” US to respond, with limited airstrikes. Because I do not believe a full fledged war is in cards. But what if such bombing attemlt is repelled? Or if some other misfortune hits US forces nywhere in the Gulf or Mediterranean? Then what? Forced to escallate, and RISK WHAT? The days of bombing Baghdad are over. Remember 130+ missiles fired on Syria by all Western forces, and the.result was what? Vast majority intercepted, no targets of value destroyed, no lives lost. And that was without the most advanced technology. That one is reserved for things that matter. So, what are the RISKS not just the benefits of pushing Iran around. Iran is the key to Silk Road plans connecting Asia and Middle East, and via Turkey to Europe. But how to force Iran to calitulate?
Unfortunatelly, there are no forces that have a vested interest in seeing Iran crumble.
I hope Trump does not believe in his Administration own propaganda that Saudis will be in US corner in any conflict with Iran. Just like with Venezuela, when the neighboring countries were asked to participate miljtarily against Venezuela — no takers. Tbere will not be any here either. Russia will relax, host Pompeo, and not be in a position to help
Washington solve its problems. With all the noise against Iran, it remainst to be seen if Washington has enough pull even on Iraq to force it to sever relations with Iran. Remains to be seen if others can be leaned on sufficiently to provide a “coalition” of the willing. Let us remember the stunts Congress puled in order to humiliate MBS and force Saudi allegiance council to remove him. It was a FAILURE. Now what, charm him into going on Iran? Charm him to give us Yemen? Now that he depends on China as number one customer, and Russia propping up oil price, and accepting Saudi investments in Russia.
Look at what happened to coalition of forty or so countries against Syria. Some of them, like UAE and Babrein reopening embassies in Damascus. I cannkt belp feeling that some of the anymosity against Iran on behalf of Arab states is fake. Hope Trump thinks long and hard before doing anything with Iran.
With Trump now Netanyahu’s stooge, the United States is on a course leading to a war with Iran. I hope Putin assures Pompeo that Russia will not tolerate a destablized Iran so close to its Southern border, and will therefore supply Iran with advanced military aid, up to and including nuclear weapons. That will keep the Western and Israeli bullies in their place.
Millions of Ukrainians have left. Hundreds of thousands more are signing up to be dual Russian citizens living in the Eastern Republics.
https://youtu.be/OPob7WDtvwM