Trump's Dilema
As Vladimir Putin ramps up the war in Ukraine, targeting civilians, utilities and most recently EU offices, the President is left with a very dangerous card to play. It is called secondary sanctions. It may hurt the US as much as Russia.
Here is the problem: Russia sells energy which is central to its entire economy. Russia's two main customers are India and China, which together account for about 45% of the world's population. Both India and China need oil. They buy Russian oil. A secondary sanction on those countries by the US would be devastating to them.
India contends that they don't have enough oil, the Russians are close by, and their oil is least expensive and of course India is a longtime ally of the US. India also doesn't understand why Trump already has tariffs on them, considering that India is a country that has a trade deficit with the US. All of it is a fairly strong argument. On the other hand, Trump's argument is simply that India is supporting a dictatorship that invaded another country and killed several hundred thousand Ukrainians, many of them civilians. And there is no other way short of nuclear war for Trump to stop them.
What may be worse is that if Trump actually plays the secondary sanctions on India, he may destroy the 25-year alliance that the US has forged with India and drive India right into the hands of China and Russia. In the meantime, the leftwing media plays up the fact that Trump is taking a long time to reach a decision. What a decision!
That of course, is what leadership is all about: getting it right.
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I don't have the answer.
Neither do I, it is a difficult situation to say the least. But I have faith many here will say they know exactly what to do. Of course that would be the opposite of whatever Trump is leaning toward doing.
Nor I, but after reading the news on ABC/ NBC/ CBS/ Reuters - am starting to get really concerned.
I have to wonder if Putin would stop if Ukraine somehow "accidently" found a couple nukes that were "inadvertently" not given up. In effect we are giving India the choice of us or Russia. I would tend to think they will do what is best for India even if that means Ukraine loses.
Trump acts as my moral compass. I figure that if I do and say the exact opposite of whatever he does and says I'll likely be nominated for sainthood.
Probably way too late to worry about that now.... ; )
Personally I could not pay that close attention to what Trump does.
The problem with sanctions is countries like India and China simply ignore them and Europe carves out exceptions so they can buy energy. Russia’s aleady a poor country with a small economy and making it slightly poorer doesn’t really hurt it.
Trump thought he could bring peace to Ukraine by the sheer strength and magnetism of his personality. And dont any of you say he didnt think that because we all know he did.
That is one of the many reasons he is a moron.
At least he is trying. Biden just sat on his ass and watched. Didn’t hear you bitching about that.
No one forced Trump to wade deeper into the quagmire. That was his choice, alone.
Secondary tariffs on India is stupid but what choice does Trump have now? Are we going to run back to China to punish India? Trump has done nothing to replace Pacific imports. So, if we're not going to import from China or India, who do we become dependent on? Ukraine? Get real.
Face it folks, the neocons and neoliberals have rigged the game so that only way out of this quagmire now is to put US troops in Ukraine and drive for Moscow. But Europe won't allow the United States to invade Russia and occupy Moscow. The US would be condemned by the UN and sanctioned by the EU for invading Russia. We're supposed to hit the beaches and liberate a Europe that doesn't want to be liberated. Europe doesn't want Russia defeated.
Thats an unusual take.
What are the options now? Can we walk away? Can we fight? Trump just gave up India for Ukraine, what do we get out of that?
The Ukrainian war is turning into a contest of strength and power between Putin and Trump. That's the neocon and neoliberal game to pit superpowers against each other. It's a game of winning skirmishes without winning wars. That's a policy of being stuck in a quagmire.
Meanwhile the EU and NATO wails and gnashes it’s teeth
Neither Putin nor Zelensky want the war to end. They're not businessmen and don't do "deals".
Previous administration's lack of action encouraged Putin to invade.
At least Trump tried to find a solution
And once again, failed. Trump is a failed president and human being. What a waste of skin.