ShivaX
4425
Yeah… that’s pretty much the opposite of how sanctions work.
By this logic Americans want us to be friendlier with North Korea and Iran.
Timex
4426
Eh, I would say that is a fair description of sanctions.
We sanction countries because we want them to improve their behavior.
ShivaX
4427
Behavior and relations aren’t really the same, imo. And these were punitive sanctions for acts of aggression.
Really, not a peep in any thread about this? It seems to be the latest in the Putin/Trump 4D chess match. Look at the play between the two headlines as well.
In the interview, Putin said that the number of American diplomatic and technical personnel will be capped at 455 — equivalent to the number of their Russian counterparts working in the United States. Currently, close to 1,200 employees work at the United States’ embassy and consulates in Russia, according to U.S. and Russian data.
“More than a thousand employees – diplomats and technical employees — have worked and are still working in Russia these days,” Putin told journalist Vladimir Solovyov on a nationally televised news show Sunday evening. “Some 755 of them will have to terminate their activity.”
[…]
The Russian government is also seizing two diplomatic properties — a dacha, or country house, in a leafy neighborhood in Moscow, and a warehouse — following the decision by the Obama administration in December to take possession of two Russian mansions in the United States.
[…]
It is not yet clear how the State Department will reduce its staff in Russia. Many of the 1,200 employees are local hires and support staff, some hired to help with a significant expansion of the U.S. embassy compound in Moscow.
The move increases the likelihood of new, perhaps asymmetrical reprisals by the United States in coming days.
Michael McFaul, former ambassador to Russia, tweeted Sunday: “If these cuts are real, Russians should expect to wait weeks if not months to get visas to come to US.”
Seems a bit like a token gesture to indicate he is serious about encouraging Trump to push back on more sanctions.
No more bromance?
Menzo
4431
I think when Putin is truly done with Trump that we’ll know it. This is just posturing.
And that’s what truly scares me. When that relationship goes south, when Putin starts f’n with Trump’s business empire, how does that narcissist and vindictive prick in the WH react? As a businessman, his options would be very limited, but as pres the temptation to hurt Putin back would likely be too much to resist.
Good point. I always assumed that when they got tired of dealing with his bs, they would out whatever they know about what took place w the campaign, but they could be a whole lot more subtle than that if they wanted, like seizing his business interests in Russia and such.
No reason to worry, right?
Clay
4435
Hey, my former boss is on Twitter now. He’s a smart man, worth following.
Clay
4437
Well his first tweet was 2 days ago.
Is Pence prepping to step into the big office?
Hmmm, Trump resigns with some weasly excuse, Pence pardons Trump family and with that any particular resistance to the firing Mueller evaporates and the WH pretends it can get back to some semblance or normalcy?
Menzo
4440
Don’t jump ahead. That’s in the first season finale.
The Internet seems to be running with the idea today that the GOP will now finally turn against Trump, after firing Priebus. We’ll see!
Well to be fair, the internet told me Hillary would win the election.
She did. We’re all still asleep and experiencing the longest collective nightmare in human history on the evening of November 8.
