Putting voters on notice that Democratic nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to continue President Barack Obama’s Cold War policy, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright warned about GOP nominee Donald Trump’s “coziness” with Russia. When you consider Obama has driven U.S.-Russian relations to the lowest point since the Cuban Missile Crisis, it’s odd that Albright would accuse Trump of fraternizing with the enemy. Obama tossed out 60 years of U.S.-Russian diplomacy, barely able to look Russian President Vladimir Putin in the eye. Expected to meet at the Sept. 4 – 5 G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, it’s doubtful Obama will try to mend fences with Putin. With less than five months in his term, the die of frosty relations is already cast, especially with strong disputes in Crimea and the Saudi-Turkey-U.S. Syria proxy war.
Since taking office Jan. 20, 2009, Obama hasn’t gotten the concept of linkage, where it’s necessary to maintain workable relations with global powers, even where there are strong disagreements. President Ronald Reagan didn’t always agree with former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev but made every effort to promote détente and improved U.S.-Russian relations. No one was tougher on Russia than Reagan but still managed to create a constructive relationship with the Soviet Union. Obama’s been unable to find common ground with Putin, even on issues of containing rogue states like North Korea. If Obama had built a stronger relationship with Putin, the U.S. wouldn’t be so vulnerable to North Korea’s atomic weapons programs, now threatening the peace on the Korean Peninsula. Accusing Trump of “cozing” up to Putin shows exactly why Hillary’s a threat to U.S. national security.
Obama knows Russia holds world’s most powerful ground army and nuclear arsenal. Keeping close U.S.-Russian relations keeps geopolitical hotspots from spiraling out of control. When you consider the nearly six-year-old Syrian war has cost over 280,000 lives, displaced more than 11 million refugees to neighboring countries and Europe and now threatens the European Union, you’d think Obama would do everything in his power to stop the conflict. Backing the Saudi proxy war in Geneva, Obama has shown no interest in stopping the bloodshed and humanitarian crisis, instead stubbornly backing the Saudi proxy war. Barack knows Putin opposes the Saudi proxy war, believing the fastest way to restore order is to back the Shiite regime of Syrian President Bashr al-Assad. Obama and Hillary back toppling al-Assad’s regime, the same goal as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS] and al-Qaeda.
Without improving relations with the Kremlin, the world’s a more dangerous place, especially pitting the most armed nuclear states against each other. “Donald Trump, beyond just praising [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, has defended his most unacceptable behavior and proposed a series of pro-Kremlin policies,” said Albright, warning voters about Trump’s desire to improve U.S.-Russian relations. Albright’s beating the Cold War drums, warning voters that Trump seeks closer ties with Russia. Considering the long history of U.S. presidents trying to improve relations with Russia, Obama turned back the clock on U.S.-Russian relations. Albright’s turning Obama’s biggest weakness into a strength of continuing the old U.S. Cold War containment strategy. Albright accuses Trump of seeking to end U.S. sanctions and backing Putin’s annexation of Crimea.
Albright accused Trump of stoking disunity in Europe, supporting Britain’s June 23 Brexit vote, ending the U.K.’s membership in the EU. Trump actually backed the rights of British citizens to determine their own destiny, including breaking off from the EU. Albright knows that if the U.S. didn’t back the Saudi proxy war in Syria, there’s wouldn’t be the refugee crisis stretching the EU to the breaking point. There’s no question U.K. voters opted out of the EU because of refugee crisis pressuring the U.K. to take more Syrian immigrants. “He has stoked European disunity, celebrated Brexit and casually predicted the break-up of the European Union,” said Albright, misstating Trump’s position. Obama’s backing of Saudi’s Syrian proxy war has done more harm to the EU than anything Trump as done or said. It’s Barack’s policy of toppling al-Assad that pits the U.S. against Russia.
Albright’s message attempts to scare voters into thinking Trump would abandon commitments to NATO. Trump’s never said he wants to end NATO, only encourage some NATO countries to pay their fair share for mutual defense services. Instead of scaring NATO countries, like Estonia, distorting Trump’s position, Albright should admit that the best way to protect Europe is to develop closer ties to Moscow. Albright knows there are two sides to every story, including the one in Crimea. Were it not for a CIA-backed coup Feb. 22, 2014 that toppled the duly elected Kremlin-backed government of Viktor Yanukovich, Putin would not have annexed Crimea. Once he saw the U.S. and EU meddling in his backyard, he took steps to protect Russian interests, especially military bases in Crimea. Instead of pretending otherwise, Albright knows the best path to global peace is better ties with the Kremlin.
