Russian Expert: Trump and Putin's Policies, Agendas Align
There's a budding bromance between Donald Trump and Russia's president, Vladimir Putin — with the GOP presidential nominee's views lining up with the former KGB officer on a range of issues, according to a former Moscow bureau chief for CNN.
Jill Dougherty, an advisory council member at the Woodrow Wilson Center's Kennan Institute, argues in a commentary for CNN that in Trump, "Putin sees potentially the most Russia-friendly U.S. presidential candidate" since he came to power in 1999.
"Trump is a tough-talker, just like Putin," she writes. "That's why he believes they're more likely to see eye-to-eye on a range of issues than [President Barack] Obama and Putin ever were."
Here's how some of Trump's policy pronouncements and Putin's agenda line up.
On ISIS:
Trump told CBS News' "Face the Nation" last October "as far as [Putin] attacking ISIS, I'm all for it," adding: "I think we probably work together much more so than right now." According to Dougherty, Putin sees in Trump "a more cooperative partner in Syria who shares his view that ISIS, not Russia, is the real threat."
On NATO:
Trump told the New York Times earlier this month the United States "may not defend NATO allies like the Baltic states if they haven't "fulfilled their obligation." According to Dougherty, "this is music to Putin's ears," since he "sees NATO as a growing threat to Russian interests," and NATO "as obsolete in a post-Soviet Union world."
On the Democratic National Committee email hack:
Trump tweeted the "new joke in town" is that Russia leaked the emails "because Putin likes me." Dougherty writes Russia denies involvement in the email hack, but that "Putin definitely has his reasons to support Trump" – and "still blames Hillary Clinton for stirring up anti-government street demonstrations in Russia."
On U.S. foreign policy:
Trump, in his foreign policy speech last April, declared he believes an "easing of tensions and improved relations with Russia, from a position of strength only, is possible." Dougherty writes that with Western sanctions in place, relations with Washington "couldn't get much worse." What's not to like about a possible "reset," she asks.
On Ukraine:
Trump told MSNBC last December he favored letting Ukraine's "neighbors take a little bit more of an active role in the Ukraine." Dougherty writes Putin would view a Trump presidency as one that would stop trying to be the world's policeman "and let Russia and Ukraine sort this Crimea situation out for themselves."
On respect:
Trump said last December he felt it "a great honor to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond."
Putin enjoys an 85 percent approval rating in his nation, Dougherty reports, adding: "Perhaps Trump can learn from Putin's strongman persona?"
http://www.newsmax.c...7/27/id/740886/
Zharkov...
Trump gets it that Russia has legitimate national interests that need to be respected by the US government.
That respect has been lacking for the last 16 years and Trump intends to change that situation.
Clinton worked to throw Russia into chaos while she was Sec. of State, just as she worked to wreck Libya and Syria, among other nations.
President Trump will work to help Russians feel secure, understanding that Russian security helps to reduce tensions and thereby enhances American security. There was never any US national interest in making Russia the bad guy, and Trump knows enough about Russia to realize the media slander of Russia is totally bogus and a leftover from the Clinton State Department. It's time to change that situation.
Shura... The only thing Drumpf understands is how to swindle people of their life savings and to make them work for nothing. Drumpf is an ordinary con man, and if he does elected he will steal this country blind.
] Zharkov... There are only two choices for president, Hillary Clinton who has a solid record of stealing stuff from the White House and taking money from foreign governments, or Trump who has a solid record of building resorts and office buildings and running an efficient organization.
Given the choice between murders at Benghazi, Travelgate, the murder of Vince Foster, the drug smuggling at Mena, Arkansas, and decades of Clinton criminality - or a small minority of stupid students crying about their tuition at Trump University, I think the choice is clear - Trump for president.
Trump has the least amount of negatives associated with his name, and again, there are only two choices, a guy who wants to be friends with Russia, and a woman who wanted to throw Russia into chaos like she did the Ukraine. Any Russian could see the difference there.
People who are anti-Trump or pro-Clinton are automatically anti-Russian, because that's what Clinton is. If she wins the election, Russia will be in for a rough ride and so will America, because what goes around, comes around.
Obama's ideas come mostly from Hillary and Bill Clinton and the CFR, so as they want Russia in a world of hurt, that's what is coming if Hillary wins. Hillary will pull a Ukraine again only it will be Russia this time. As I said, destabilizing Russia is not in the national interest of America, it's only in the interests of a very small number of very wealthy people named Rothschild and Rockefeller.
Trump isn't part of that group. He isn't a member of the CFR or Trilateral Commission, and he doesn't care what they want. His ideas are mostly his own. And he is very willing to consider Russian interests, a huge difference in attitude from the Obama regime. Trump "gets it" why Putin is concerned about missile bases and NATO, and nukes scattered all over Europe and Turkey, and he sees things from both American and Russian points of view. The only president who even came close to seeing the Russian side of things was probably Reagan. Trump is the guy you want to deal with if you are a Russian leader, not Hillary. She will smile, pat you on the head, and then stick a knife in your back when you are not looking. Or like Khadaffi and Vince Foster, maybe a bullet in the head. Hillary is the dangerous one, not Trump.
Zharkov...
Interesting idea: why not allow everyone in the world to vote in US elections?
They already do that now anyway. Just make it official. Anyone can send in money for a campaign.
No limits, no restrictions. China can vote for the next US president since US policies affect China.
US policies affect Russia, so let Russians vote too.
Make it fully a global election because US policies now affect everyone in the world.
OK, so it's not fair to Americans. When has the US government ever cared what Americans think?
Poster Comment:
Difference between candidates: Trump wants to use presidency to do something for Americans while Hillary wants to use it to do something for Israel like eliminating its enemies as she did with Kaddaffi plus facilitating return of Jew control of Russia and Ukraine.