[JohnR]

Originally Posted by spence

Remember after 9/11 people thought we had the foreign policy dream team...look how that played out.

The important negotiations here will be with the EU.

-spence

Today, I would trade that dream team for this dream team. The 2001-2002 team might have been C players at the time but the current crop is a solid -D at best. The influence the current administration can bring to the table is marginal at best but they are doing a wonderful job of accelerating our influence.

Originally Posted by detbuch

But I digress. I may actually agree with the important negotiations being with the EU. If Spence means by that negotiations amongst Russia, the EU, and Ukraine. In fact, those are the ONLY relevant negotiations. And, power to truth, if the EU is not militarily strong enough or morally resolute enough to stand up to the same of Putin's Russia, the "negotiations" may be one sided in results.

The U.S. has too long been the military backbone for Western Europe--and NATO. That is not only outside our sphere of influence, but we are, again, in the process of weakening our own military might. Europe, if it wants to stand on whatever it considers its principles, needs to be willing to fight for them.

As far as "economic" sanctions--those cut both ways. Besides, Russia has always managed to be outside of Western Europe's economic sphere. And it is forming other alliances rapidly, now, in response to threats against its hegemony in what it considers its sphere of influence.