Trump to recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea

Donald Trump's Crimean Gambit

Quote:

Donald Trump’s call on Russia to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails Wednesday resulted in widespread criticism. But his comments on Crimea, coupled with ones he made last week on NATO, are likely to have greater significance if he is elected president in November. The question came from Mareike Aden, a German reporter, who asked him whether a President Trump would recognize Crimea as Russian and lift sanctions on Moscow imposed after its 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian territory. The candidate’s reply: “Yes. We would be looking at that.” That response is likely to spread much cheer through Russia—already buoyant about the prospect of a Trump victory in November. But it could spread at least an equal amount of dread in the former Soviet republics. In a matter of two weeks, the man who could become the next American president has not only questioned the utility of NATO, thereby repudiating the post-World War II security consensus, he also has seemingly removed whatever fig leaf of protection from Russia the U.S. offered the post-Soviet republics and Moscow’s former allies in the Eastern bloc.

So in summary, he came right out and said it: he is proposing that we formally recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea, from Ukraine, and lift the sanctions we imposed as punishment. Obviously Putin and Co. would welcome that news. I suppose an argument could even be made that this is better than confronting Russia. But I wonder what Winston Churchill would have thought. Is this not Neville Chamberlain agreeing to recognize Hilter's annexation of the "Sudetanland"? Is this not appeasement? Will this concession satisfy Putin or just whet his appetite to see what other territory he can annex? Former Soviet territories with Russian minorities?

via International Skeptics Forum http://ift.tt/2abUuol