If Putin could run for US president, would you vote for him?

@Noflaps said in #40:

@salmon_rushdie , I believe we agree upon not liking the invasion of Ukraine. But the Nord Stream 2 pipeline wouldn't have been there to be sabotaged if it could simply have been stopped to begin with.

Trump applied sanctions in an attempt to stop it. After Trump left, those sanctions were LIFTED. Making its completion easier.

Which was the mistake? WHY ON EARTH were those sanctions lifted?

I've got a LOT of questions like that -- several things that have been done over the last almost four years that make me wonder to myself, WTF? (what the fudge). That isn't even remotely the MOST wonder-producing occurrence over those recent years.

And I don't believe I'm alone in having such wonders. Indeed, polls seem to indicate that the number who are wondering is increasing, not declining. No matter how much spin attempts to prevent that.
The sanctions were lifted in an attempt to foster better relations with Germany - which had severely deteriorated under Trump

Note they were re-implemented the day they intensified the invasion.

But yeah, in that instance I think a lot happened behind the scenes we have no clue about.

Re-implemented after they "intensified" the invasion? Let's not forget that the invasion started AFTER Trump left. During Trump's handling of the situation there WAS no invasion to "intensify."

And "fostering better relations with Germany" by taking actions designed to increase cash flow into Russia didn't do Germany any favors in the long run, did it?

THAT'S the problem. When the economic and geopolitical situation is not understood clearly, attempts to mollify or "go along" can turn out to be drastic mistakes.

Trump explicitly warned Europe, I believe, that becoming too dependent on Russia as an energy source could turn out to be a mistake. Was he right? Can it be admitted, if so?

Or must many (although I don't accuse @salmon_rushdie of this , of course, since I believe he attempts to be objective) return to the distracting litany of "Trump is, like, ICKY!" And hope we don't notice just HOW OFTEN supposedly-icky Trump has turned out to be correct, after all.

@Noflaps
The invasion began in 2014 with the seizing of Crimea and the infiltration of Donetsk and Luhansk, so it took place his whole tenure - which is why we had dramas like the president withholding arms aid for personal political favors.

I mean it's a moot point anyway it never delivered - Perhaps they were attempting some form of detente with Russia as well to see if they could dissuade them from further action. It was about 7 month period of time.

I don't think anyone (atleast in the US) thought that European dependence on russian energy was ever a desirable thing - which is probably exactly why it was blown up as soon as it became a critical political/ strategic weakness

But europe obviously, as evidenced by struggles - needed more time to make a cozy transition but lacked the political momentum - well now they have no choice.

Okay, @salmon_rushdie, so long as we remember WHO was president in "2014."

And I hope we can agree that it was NOT He Of The Splendid, Golden-Orange Hair.

Nope. It was the last dependably-articulate Democrat presidential candidate.

Oh, those were the days, eh?

No, the good times rolled during 2017, 2018, 2019 -- right up until we got Covid.

Remember? I hope so.

Yes - of course typically beginning first years of any pres' term is typically more a reflection of their predecessor than their own governance.

@bfchessguy said in #33:

So what is your answers to OP? ;-P

@everyone

wait isnt this supposed to be a website about chess?

@Bhaaradwaaj said in #47:

wait isnt this supposed to be a website about chess?

Off-Topic Discussion
Everything that isn't related to chess

@bfchessguy said in #33:

So what is your answers to OP? ;-P

@everyone