Is Trump The Toughest Ever On Russia?.. much tougher on Russia than any in the post-Cold War era (from NPR no less]

NPR ^ | July 20, 2018 | Scott Horsley 2010 Scott Horsley Twitter

[daniel1212]

this administration has been much tougher on Russia than any in the post-Cold War era," said Daniel Vajdich, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council....

Take military spending: Trump sought to add $1.4 billion for fiscal year 2018 to the European Deterrence Initiative — a military effort to deter Russian aggression that was initially known as the European Reassurance Initiative. That's a 41 percent increase from the last year of the Obama administration. The president also agreed to send lethal weapons to Ukraine — a step that Obama resisted. And Trump gave U.S. forces in Syria more leeway to engage with Russian troops.

"Those loosened rules of engagement have resulted in direct military clashes with Russian militants and mercenaries on the ground, actually resulting in one incident in hundreds of casualties on the Russian side," Vajdich said.

The administration has also imposed sanctions on dozens of Russian oligarchs and government officials...

tough policies...have to be weighed against Trump's rhetoric, which is consistently friendly to Putin. ."There's a real disconnect between the president's words and the underlying policy," said Richard Fontaine, president of the Center for a New American Security.

[daniel1212]

Since the Left is trying to blame Trump, looking at former years:

Trump’s Move to Deter Russian Aggression https://www.dailysignal.com/2017/05/25/trumps-move-deter-russian-aggression May 25, 2017 ·

NATO cheers Trump’s military budget - POLITICO May 24, 2017 · https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-donald-trump..

[wbarmy]

The biggest single blow to Russia was when the US became self sufficient in oil and gas, and then we started selling it cheap. Russia depends on every drop of oil bringing the highest price possible to keep their troops ready.

High oil prices is a god send to them and Biden sold them the farm.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Normally I would voice frustration about media bias etc...

But Trump shot himself in the foot too with reckless rhetoric. And really poor communication skills and choice of communication framers in his admin.

[eyeamok]

However tough you think Trump was with Russia, it pales in comparison on how tough Biden has been to America

[Chode]

much tougher on Russia than any in the post-Cold War era

they say it like it’s a bad thing...

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

I was reading all the leftists on Twitter today, and almost all of them are blaming Trump for this invasion, it’s unbelievable. They are completely insane.

Look at this one...This idiot is trying to say the GOP is communist LOL LOL

https://twitter.com/JamesTByers1/status/1497305474693173251

[entropy12]

Biden got 80 million votes because he was hiding in his basement wearing a burqa. Those 250 million Americans who feared covid so much they chose to get jabbed with an experimental vaccine, thought Biden was taking covid more seriously.

[edie1960]

It truly is appalling to find ourselves unable and unwilling to staunch the atrocity being perpetrated against Ukraine—while at the same time, at the mercy of Xiden with NO hope of any outside force to come to our rescue either!!!

[Leaning Right]

Here ya go:

Putin invaded Crimea when Obama was president.
Putin invaded no one when Trump was president.
Putin invaded the Ukraine when Biden was president.

Case closed.

[Avalon Memories]

But Trump shot himself in the foot too with reckless rhetoric. And really poor communication skills and choice of communication framers in his admin.

Enough already with this kind of garbage. Yes, Trump is not a perfect human being. Who is? Yes, he has personality quirks that are turnoffs for many people. But seriously, do you really think Biden is better with his word salads and just plain stupidity?

Trump was a highly effective president who put the well-being of this country first. I'll settle for that any day instead of someone who is genteel but can't lead his way out of a paper bag. And by the way, Biden is not genteel. He is an arrogant, nasty individual with a short temper. He always was. It has nothing to do with his age. He is also deeply corrupt.

[daniel1212]

In context, Trump calling smart Putin was referring to the crafty tactical means and gamble of Putin,

“I mean, he’s taking over a country for $2 worth of sanctions. I’d say that’s pretty smart,” while contending that if he were still president then Mr. Putin would not have invaded, and that Biden had not done enough to dissuade this, and referred to the unfolding events as a “very sad thing for the world and the country.” (WSJ)

But speaking carelessly does give the Left a lot of ammunition, yet he is much WYSIWYG.

[daniel1212]

"I was reading all the leftists on Twitter today, and almost all of them are blaming Trump for this invasion, it’s unbelievable. They are completely insane. Look at this one...This idiot is trying to say the GOP is communist LOL LOL"

I see the like in the Boston Globe.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Libs project a lot.

But this is the first time I’ve ever seen any of them try to call their political enemies communists

[edie1960]

Utter insanity running rampant, indeed.

PDJT had honed, as he would say, a “Tippy top” or “Perfecto” foreign policy, which projected strength to deter invasions like this.

Now, an illegitimate administration has thoroughly dismantled that essential bulwark and brought us to the brink of, God forbid, WWIII.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Jesus called us to be as shrewd as serpents.

You can have all the best intentions in the world, but you can’t just act like you’re in polite company. Especially conservatives. We have to be quadruple skilled and calculated about how we PHRASE things.

[daniel1212]

And instead of sanctions reducing the Russian spigot supply:

Although on April 15, 2021 the U.S. Department of the Treasury instituted multiple sanctions actions against Russia under a new Executive Order, yet that Spring imports of Russian oil to the United States reached their highest level in a decade, and Russia became the second-largest exporter of oil to the US that year.

And even in 2020:

Russia’s exports of petroleum products to the United States more than doubled in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period last year, reaching their highest levels since at least 2004. ussia’s oil products exports to the U.S. jumped to 9.1 million tons between January and June 2020, up from 4 million tons for the same period in 2019.

The U.S. was Russia’s second-largest buyer of oil products – accounting for 12 percent of Russia’s petroleum products exports..The U.S. has been raising its imports of fuel oil from Russia over the past year and a half after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s exports. - https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russias-Oil-Product-Exports-To-The-US-Jump-To-16-Year-High.html

in 2020 Russia produced 10.1 million barrels per day (BPD) of crude oil and natural gas condensate. That was good for second place behind the U.S. at 11.3 million BPD...

However, the U.S. also consumes far more oil (17.2 million BPD) than Russia (3.2 million BPD) or Saudi Arabia (3.5 million BPD). The net result is that the U.S. is a net importer of crude oil, while Russia and Saudi Arabia are major crude oil exporters.

Meanwhile, as regards Russia Exports to United States:

Exports to United States CMLV in Russia averaged 5930.21 USD Million from 2006 until 2021, reaching an all time high of 17537.80 USD Million in December of 2021 and a record low of 444.30 USD Million in January of 2007.

Also, Russia Exports to United States: Exports to United States CMLV in Russia averaged 5930.21 USD Million from 2006 until 2021, reaching an all time high of 17537.80 USD Million in December of 2021 and a record low of 444.30 USD Million in January of 2007.

[daniel1212]

" Jesus called us to be as shrewd as serpents. You can have all the best intentions in the world, but you can’t just act like you’re in polite company. Especially conservatives. We have to be quadruple skilled and calculated about how we PHRASE things. "

Indeed, yet the Left did selectively report him out of context. No surprise.

[Secret Agent Man]

I see where this is going.

All of this going on now is, wait for it...Trumps fault. You know for being so hard on Russia prior, even though we accused him of being in bed with Russia to win the election.

But he was so hard on Putin now Putin must save face against the normal and civil and therefore, weaker looking, Biden.

This is how the libsoc press is going with this narrative.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

You can have all the best intentions in the world, but you can’t just act like you’re in polite company. Especially conservatives. We have to be quadruple skilled and calculated about how we PHRASE things.

The statist mob he faced every day was vile. They lied, called him and his supporters nasty names, and schemed every moment to undermine him. I'd much rather he call them out for their machinations in plain gutter English then pretending "sophisticated" communication skills.

[circlecity]

Trump was a master at using the stick and carrot when dealing with our enemies. And it worked.