United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has been trying to call his Russian counterpart for the last 48 hours according to a Pentagon spokesman. The Russian Defense Minister has not taken Hagel's calls; nor has the Russian returned those calls even though the Pentagon made clear to the Russians that Secretary Hagel was prepared to take a responsive call at any time.
In simplest terms, this news makes clear that the current strategy of the Obama administration is to call the Russians and beg them to speak to us. Oh, Obama himself has not placed such a call; there is no way he would let himself be snubbed like that. For Moscow to snub Hagel, however, is no small matter. In the world of foreign relations, the conduct of Russia towards Hagel is about as severe a snub as can be. Russia is telling the USA government that Russia does not care enough about our views to even take phone calls from the head of the Department of Defense.
Meanwhile, reports are coming in that Russian jets are in the skies above eastern Ukraine, Russian troops are on the move towards the border of Ukraine and president Obama is once again threatening the imposition of "stronger" sanctions. Of course, given that the last set of sanctions did not even rise to the level of a joke, it would not take much to impose "stronger" sanctions.
Most likely, we are watching the creation of the new southwestern province of the Russian Federation which will be the new designation for what used to be the nation of Ukraine.
In simplest terms, this news makes clear that the current strategy of the Obama administration is to call the Russians and beg them to speak to us. Oh, Obama himself has not placed such a call; there is no way he would let himself be snubbed like that. For Moscow to snub Hagel, however, is no small matter. In the world of foreign relations, the conduct of Russia towards Hagel is about as severe a snub as can be. Russia is telling the USA government that Russia does not care enough about our views to even take phone calls from the head of the Department of Defense.
Meanwhile, reports are coming in that Russian jets are in the skies above eastern Ukraine, Russian troops are on the move towards the border of Ukraine and president Obama is once again threatening the imposition of "stronger" sanctions. Of course, given that the last set of sanctions did not even rise to the level of a joke, it would not take much to impose "stronger" sanctions.
Most likely, we are watching the creation of the new southwestern province of the Russian Federation which will be the new designation for what used to be the nation of Ukraine.
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