Putin, Trump, and Biden

Whatever happens in the Ukraine confrontation, it’s worth recalling that, throughout his tenure in office, Trump acted like Putin’s vassal. If Trump had won reelection or succeeded in his attempted coup and were now in power, Putin would have his way: NATO and western unity would be severely weakened and would likely be forced to make concessions that would have serious deleterious effects. Thanks to Biden and his team, Putin’s fascist style military posturing with respect to Ukraine has largely unified and reinvigorated the Western alliance and diminished Putin’s bargaining strength.

Nothing can be gained and much can be lost by appeasing a bully, a good principle to remember when dealing with people like Putin or Trump.