Those are interesting things to note, considering Merkel urging us to work closer with Russia.
You know what, I have urged pretty much the same thing over time. It’s her puddin head ideas and other actions that leave me not trusting her at all.
It has been my opinion that after the U. S. S. R. fell, the US didn’t do enough to become close friends. I don’t mean blindly, but with some insight and intelligence.
It was my take we made a massive mistake not having our president go to the memorial for Belsan in 2005. We could have shown a lot of sympathy and the Russian people would never have forgotten it.
We took a pass.
All nations like to feel important. Russia after being the U. S. S. R., was no different. We could have pulled them onto some inconsequential international boards. We could have given it’s leadership some props. Instead we seemed to relish it being in the dumps. That was a huge mistake.
It caused the leadership of Russia to drift apart from us. We made a big deal out of the U. S. S. R. folding, then failed to help it over the hump. I think some in Russia felt betrayed by that.
They in effect went Western, and what did we do? We cozened up to China, a Communist state, and left Russia flopping in the wind.
I’m never going to word this just right, but if folks try to think of the best way for us to avoid trouble down the road, it would have been to pull Russia closer, and be involved in it’s plans for the future.
We just abandoned that, and I think it was unfortunate.
Look, I don’t trust Putin any farther than I can drop kick him, but having a relationship is better than having him go off setting up alliances with nations like China against us.
I think we would have done better.
“the Russian people would never have forgotten it.”
I agree. I wouldn’t.