Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Trump Has Putin over a Barrel
National Review ^ | July 7,2017 | Larry Kudlow

Posted on 07/08/2017 3:14:09 PM PDT by Hojczyk

Now, Russia still has a lot of oil and gas reserves. And it uses this to bully Eastern and Western Europe. It threatens to cut off these resources if Europe dares to complain about Putin power-grabs in Crimea, eastern Ukraine, the Baltics, and elsewhere.

But enter President Donald Trump. In his brilliant speech in Warsaw, Poland, earlier this week, he called Putin’s energy bluff.

It may well have been the best speech of his young presidency. Trump delivered a stirring leadership message, emphasizing the importance of God, freedom, strong families, and democratic values.

But in an absolutely key part of the speech, he took direct aim at Vladimir Putin’s energy bullying.

Trump said, “We are committed to securing your access to alternative sources of energy so Poland and its neighbors are never again held hostage to a single supplier of energy.” Italics are all mine.

President Donald Trump has quickly made it clear that Barack Obama’s war on business is over. He’s also made it clear, through regulatory rollbacks of breathtaking scope, that the Obama war on fossil fuels is over.

In short, with the free-market policies he’s putting in place in America’s energy sector and throughout the U.S. economy, the business-man president fully intends to destroy Russia’s energy-market share. And as that takes hold, Russia’s gas-station economy will sink further.

And as that takes hold, bully-boy Putin will have to think twice about Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltics. He’ll have to think twice about his anti-American policies in the Middle East and North Korea. And he’ll have to think twice about his increasingly precarious position as the modern-day Russian tsar.

And the world may yet become a safer place.

Trump has Putin over a barrel.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; Russia
KEYWORDS: energy; europe; kudlow; poland; putin; russia; trump; trumpg20summit; trumprussia
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-48 next last

1 posted on 07/08/2017 3:14:09 PM PDT by Hojczyk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

Excellent points all. We will still need the Saudis on board however.


2 posted on 07/08/2017 3:19:14 PM PDT by t4texas (Remember the Alamo!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

Best conservative speech since Tear Down This Wall! Absolutely brilliant and delivered with passion.


3 posted on 07/08/2017 3:22:03 PM PDT by bray (Pray for President Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: t4texas
We will still need the Saudis on board however.

Then tell them to man the oars.

4 posted on 07/08/2017 3:22:22 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: t4texas
We will still need the Saudis on board however.

Yep. Trump gets that as demonstrated by Saudi Arabia being the first country he visited aboard as President.

5 posted on 07/08/2017 3:26:20 PM PDT by plain talk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

And as that takes hold, bully-boy Putin will have to think twice about Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltics. He’ll have to think twice about his anti-American policies in the Middle East and North Korea. And he’ll have to think twice about his increasingly precarious position as the modern-day Russian tsar.
++++
I believe this is all true. Trump’s energy policies will challenge Russia’s market share. But for Trump to exercise his leverage in all these danger spots he will have to give Putin SOMETHING.

What will it be?


6 posted on 07/08/2017 3:27:11 PM PDT by InterceptPoint (Ted, you finally endorsed. About time.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

The Libtard media are beside themselves. The best they have is James Brown Waters and Liawatha.

Trump makes it look easy. He is very impressive.


7 posted on 07/08/2017 3:29:56 PM PDT by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: eyedigress
The Libtard media are beside themselves. The best they have is James Brown Waters and Liawatha.

Stark choices in 2020! LOL


8 posted on 07/08/2017 3:35:54 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (RuPaul and Yertle - our illustrious Republican leaders up the Hill - God help us!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk
Trump is taking a page out of Reagan's playbook; flood the market with cheap oil to tank Russia's only real source of income and force them to increase their defense spending.

Russia spends twice the rate of the US on defense spending relative to GDP.

9 posted on 07/08/2017 3:42:04 PM PDT by caltaxed (ui)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

National Review? How quaint.


10 posted on 07/08/2017 3:43:48 PM PDT by Psalm 144 (Why defend the EU?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: t4texas

Were you asleep when Trump had that great face-to-face with Saudis?


11 posted on 07/08/2017 3:47:08 PM PDT by Walrus (Those who work should eat better than those who don't)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

“Trump has Putin over a barrel” of oil.

There, fixed it.


12 posted on 07/08/2017 3:53:49 PM PDT by kiltie65
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Psalm 144

“National Review? How quaint.”

Those were my thoughts, too. Not having read anything on that site since early last year I took a look at the article out of curiosity. Of course, Kudlow ranted on about those mean old Russians and how they needed to be economically punished for reclaiming what was rightfully theirs for a thousand years, that is, the area known as the Ukraine, which never should have been allowed to separate from Russian territory after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Just ask Pat Buchanan about this.

Anyway, after reading Kudlow’s blather, I perused the comments section and thought I was on the HuffPost. I swear, the Never-Trumper jerks that populate the National Review website are of the same mindset as the rabid leftoid marxocrats and other denizens of the Jackass Party. In their twisted opinions, Trump can do no right.

It’ll be another year or longer before I check out anything from the National Review again.


13 posted on 07/08/2017 3:54:01 PM PDT by DrPretorius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Walrus

No. But they still have an obvious interest in their own geographic region of the planet. They also have issues with Qatar and Iran. In addition, they have been very concerned about the possibility of reductions in imports of foreign oil to the US. Were you asleep the last time oil was $12 a barrel?


14 posted on 07/08/2017 3:59:34 PM PDT by t4texas (Remember the Alamo!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

We need to have an open and honest debate over who is really our enemy and where they rank threat wise. Russia is not a major menace to us just because Kudlow, Bolton, and Nikki Haley believe it is. Russia is surely less dangerous than it was was under communism. Saudi money is being spread all over the USA in an effort to import Islam into this country. And why is Russia any more bullying than Turkey, which has also been throwing its weight around in the middle east? Or more oppressive than Venezuela? Or more politically meddlesome than Canada and the EU have been by their efforts to ally with global warming politicians in the USA? Or more maniacal than North Korea?


15 posted on 07/08/2017 4:43:24 PM PDT by Socon-Econ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hojczyk

What’s so bloody difficult to understand that these fools can’t comprehend in the Trump approach: You identify your opponent’s weakness and then go straight at it. Period.

Obambi always did the opposite: identify his own weakness and surrender from there.


16 posted on 07/08/2017 4:46:36 PM PDT by nicollo (I said no!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Socon-Econ

I wish I could give this post a great big LIKE!


17 posted on 07/08/2017 4:49:23 PM PDT by Chickensoup (Leftists today are speaking as if they plan to commence to commit genocide against conservatives.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: t4texas

Dealing with Saudis, to keep us from falling with Russians. Doesn’t sound like much of a win.


18 posted on 07/08/2017 4:49:26 PM PDT by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Psalm 144

So you object to the most established and prestigious conservative journal praising President Trump?


19 posted on 07/08/2017 5:01:31 PM PDT by TBP (0bama lies, Granny dies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino

The Saudis are in the same boat as Russia...all they have is oil...

China is the big threat not Russia...

Trump should tell Europe you are on your own with Russia...time to man up...we have taken care of you for seventy years..


20 posted on 07/08/2017 5:03:46 PM PDT by Hojczyk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-48 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson