What He Saw in Russia

I strongly recommend that you read Dan Drezner’s Washington Post account of what he saw in Russia. It boils down to these:

1. Russian-American relations are going to be bad for a good long spell.
2. Russia’s grand strategy is for Russia to be treated like a great power. That’s it.
3. Russia’s economy is not in great shape.
4. Vladimir Putin is, like, super-passive-aggressive.
5. The last great liberals of the world are in East Asia.

To which I’d add that Russia’s economy hasn’t ever been in great shape. The idea that economic sanctions will motivate the Russians relies on false premises. Whatever happened to the idea that you can catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar? And I think that Dan means “neoliberals” in his last bullet point.