Corey Robin writes on his blog:
…close watchers of Russia and the US have pointed out all the multiple ways in which the US is currently pursuing a very anti-Russia foreign policy, more aggressive than anything pursued by Obama (especially Obama), Bush, or Clinton. Last week, NPR of all places did a story on precisely this, citing this comment from a foreign policy expert at the Atlantic Council:
When you actually look at the substance of what this administration has done, not the rhetoric but the substance, this administration has been much tougher on Russia than any in the post-Cold War era.
So the idea that Trump – by which I mean his administration… – is simply taking dictation is empirically wrong.
The expert mentioned is Daniel Vajdich, formerly a researcher with the American Enterprise Institute, who used to work, in various capacities, for Romney’s, Scott Walker’s, and Rubio’s campaigns.
My own, reactionary throwaways on Trump’s potential belligerence can be found by following the backlinks starting from this post.
More from the NPR:
“There’s a real disconnect between the president’s words and the underlying policy,” said Richard Fontaine, president of the Center for a New American Security.
For the first time in human history, a disconnect between a politician’s words and deeds. Who would have thought…
[…] always they came from unscrupulous journalists, biased academic or self-serving politicians. In the summer of 2018, Trump’s record on Russia didn’t look bad at all if judged by America’s actions […]