THE EDITOR: Twenty months after the US general elections, the Trump administration has been unable to have a working relationship with his key men and it has been one replacement after another.
This, in itself, creates a form of instability which does not augur well for the US nor the world.
There is no question that America can no longer be the policeman of the world, but by the same token, there are other ways of implementing this vision to the European Union who are his allies.
On the other hand, Mr. Trump’s intentions of improving relations with Russia is understandable, but meeting with Mr. Putin on a one-to-one basis was the wrong move, as the experience of Mr. Putin, first as a KGB agent along with his built-in anger during the Gorbachev era and the tearing down of the Berlin Wall was a bitter pill to swallow, which he was determined to address.
Putin’s agenda is to be recognized as a super power and not a regional power, which President Obama once voiced and as long as his criteria remains unaccomplished, his discord will continue.
Mr. Obama may have had his deficiencies, but he was prepared to let Russia digest the economic costs of both the Ukraine and Syria and institute sanctions which would eventually stifle the Russian economy.
Evidently, Mr. Trump does not wish to take this approach — for whatever reasons — and therein lies the difficulties for the US.
The US has never been in such a predicament, but there is always a first time and a formula has to be reached to unravel this dreadful situation.
Mr. Trump’s latest decision to meet with Mr. Putin in the fall is probably a means to unravel the confusion created in Helsinki, but unfortunately, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Hopefully, Mr. Putin can now meet face-to-face with the real decision-makers and work out their differences.
(Michael Chastanet)