Putin’s decision to not expel US diplomats, strategic : Academic
US President-elect Donald Trump has praised “very smart” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision not to retaliate Washington’s recent expansion of sanctions against Moscow.
On Thursday, President Barack Obama ordered a series of new sanctions against Russia as well as the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, accusing them of being spies.
However, Putin decided not to expel US diplomats in reprisal, saying he would rather wait to work with the Trump administration to solve the issue.
Vladimir Golstein, lecturer at Brown University, believes Putin has made a very “strategic move” not to respond in kind, adding that new US sanctions against Russia are "last-minute attempt" on the part of the Democratic Party to ruin the process of restarting peaceful cooperation between the two countries.
“For various reasons people associated with President Obama –neoconservatives and other political forces - do not want this rapprochement, they do not want to start dealing with a common enemy. They prefer to have Russia as an enemy. That is how Putin and Russians view this recent action of accusations, sanctions and so on,” the academic told Press TV in an interview on Saturday.
He also stated Putin is taking the high road because he is aware that time is on his side.
The academic further noted what is important about Putin’s move is that it sends a “very good message” to both the American people and the world.
He also opined that President Obama’s action was rather “ill-advised” and “mean-spirited”, arguing that Moscow has won kind of a Cold War which the world has witnessed recently between Russia and the United States.
“And Russia actually seems to win this war because Russia takes high position, they are trying to use diplomatic force wherever they can, they try to negotiate, they are bringing peace in Syria, and they are trying to negotiate various other situations,” he said.
Golstein concluded by saying that the US politicians should not throw their weight around sanctions and bullying because it is going to backfire.
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