You have to think of Putin as a modern equivalent of the Czar. Almost none of them were ‘nice guys’ by modern standards. Like them he’s a Russian nationalist like them his goal is to advance the power, prestige & economics of Russia by hook or crook and if necessary, at all other nations expense (including us!). I can respect that! In fact, it’s refreshing it’s back to the ancient game of nations instead of exporting a secular religious ideology. We should go back to that ancient game and stop trying to make places like Afghanistan or Iraq like us. It took a long bloody painful history for the West and the USA to be like it is. That history & experience can’t be grafted onto alien societies. We need to learn that. We need to pull back our missionary zeal in exporting ‘democracy’, stop trying to do it. Putin’s Russia has no ideology to export any more, its goal is simple play the ancient game to be on top - increase national power. That should be our game too !
Only if the Czar is essentially a brutal KGB gangster who chooses his allies based on how anti-American and brutal they are, like North Korea and Iran.
“That should be our game too !”
Amen. Glad some here GET IT.
Russia is not some perfect place but those who hate Russia have economic motives like cutting Russia out of the natural gas market.
Ted Cruz of Texas wants to help US natural gas by shutting down Russian natural gas through Nord Stream 2.