Ukraine – A Comparison Between Presidents Bush & Obama Foreign Policy

[longknife]

This piece came from the Brookings Institute blog but caught me eye and made me wonder just what the differences are.

It’s Not Just Ukraine

What his actions in Eastern Europe tell us about how Vladimir Putin sees the Middle East.

By Michael Doran | March 26, 2014

Does the Ukraine crisis mark the beginning of a new cold war? The answer from President Obama is a firm no. “The United States does not view Europe as a battleground between East and West, nor do we see the situation in Ukraine as a zero-sum game. That’s the kind of thinking that should have ended with the cold war,” he told a Dutch newspaper.

The president is partially correct. Unlike the Soviet Union, Russia has neither the intention nor the capability to challenge the entire European order, and it is certainly not mounting a global revolutionary movement. Nevertheless, it is a revanchist power, and its appetites are much larger than the president cares to admit.

That Russian President Vladimir Putin sees Ukraine as a zero-sum game seems obvious. Somewhat less apparent is the fact that his revisionist aspirations also extend elsewhere, and most saliently to the Middle East.

As I said, the article didn't refer to President Bush but I can't help but wonder. Remember how Bush and Putin spent a lot of time at his Texas ranch. Well, we didn't find ourselves watching while Vlad rattle his sword in Syria and Crimea. If anything, this, along with other recent examples, show how signs of weakness in US foreign policy have major impact on the world.


Read the article @ It?s Not Just Ukraine » Mosaic Magazine

 

[R.C. Christian]

This isn't 2008.Different ballgame.