Like everyone else who values our democratic institutions I am eager for strong measures to prevent Russian intervention in our elections. (It is reported that many people, most of whom identify as Republicans, express indifference concerning Russian meddling, but I find it hard to believe that this is literally so.) And I feel Putin’s brutal aggression against neighbors and the domestic opposition to be alarming and threatening.
But the awfulness of the current régime aside, I wish only the best for Russia and her people, and I see this as no more than sensible. There truly is no essential reason for conflict between the United States and Russia and a prosperous and stable Russia is really in our interest. This article’s further confirmation that Russia is caught in an economic trap she shows no signs of getting out of is anything but good news.
None of the preceding four U.S. administrations has done well on policy toward Russia, and I feel a lot of anxiety about what this one is likely to do.