Adam and John had this clip of Professor Stephen Cohen suggesting Putin has a problem with ultranationalists in Russia. Supposedly, they think Putin might give up on Ukraine, for Syria. This doesn't make sense, since all Putin has to do is wait, but clearly the ultras are a problem.
Meanwhile, there's Abe, looking to conclude a treaty with Russia. He needs a few islands back from Russia, which would make him more popular. Trump, should he choose to do so, should be able to exert influence in Ukraine, at least getting the pro-Russian areas safe from Kiev until something more stable can be arranged. As per my previous post, Abe is probably looking for a good deal with Trump (as well as Putin) to secure his popularity back home.
I don't know if Putin would view this agreeably, but presumably getting the homeland of his people secured should be valued more by the ultras than a few islands that they stole from the Japanese.
Having cooperation between American, Russia, and Japan would also be a good prelude to discussions with China.
No comments:
Post a Comment