Big words.
I’m curious what Bolton would do if he had the opportunity to negotiate.
The USA holds no cards in this game. What is Kerry supposed to negotiate with?
Admittedly, planning to throw away what few cards you do hold is no way to win future hands, but that doesn’t change the fact that there is very little the USA can do to influence this situation.
IMO the best thing for the US to do would be to denounce the way Putin went about this annexation as immoral and illegal, while openly recognizing there’s nothing we can do to stop it. Blustering about as if you have influence when you don’t just makes you look stupid.
Some suggest approving the pipeline, produce more oil and gas, and export to Europe their oil and gas needs might hurt Russia.
Exactly... but remember when Obama took power back in 2009, he wanted the world to believe his presence on the scene would create an environment of universal peace, calm and kumbaya.... the most of America believed him.
And oh, the comeuppance since...
The problem is that to the extent 0bama has a foreign policy, it is purely reactive and at least three moves behind international events. Bolton could not do anything now, nor could anyone else. Putin checkmated the world, and it was set up some time ago.
The idea is that you are supposed to foresee that Putin might try to maneuver his way into this position, and block him subtly before he can get there. That’s what real diplomacy is about. It’s not some game of electric football on a vibrating metal board with your players randomly wandering around, which is what 0bama and Kerry seem to think it is.