Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43545565
Summary: Following the poisoning of a Russian spy, presumably caused by Russia, roughly 3 weeks ago, the US and other allies decide to expel Russian diplomats from their countries. As of now, the US has expelled 60 diplomats. The nerve agent attack put the target and his daughter in critical condition, as well hospitalizing 3 police officers. Allies have been banding together to reprimand Russia for its unjustifiable actions.
Analysis: I think this is a good start on solidifying the U.S.'s stance on Russia acting out of hand. However, I think this might begin to spark something bigger. Russia is not exactly known for being the best cooperators, and in fact, as a response to the expulsions, they ran a Twitter poll asking which U.S. consulate they should close.
Questions:
What do you think is the best course of action to punish Russia for its actions?
Do you think this could spark a 2nd Cold War?
Is this a step in the right direction from the U.S.'s part?
11 comments:
I'm glad that the US is actually doing something about Russia's current actions. We all know that the Trump administration has ties to the Russians, and this is detrimental for the security of this nation. The expelling of these Russian officials shows that America is also critical of Russia's actions, however America shouldn't stop after doing this. Giving a slap on the wrist and moving on means that Russia could potentially do something similar again with little repercussion. America and its allies have to show that they won't take Russia's actions lightly. I don't think that another Cold War will start from this. Nuclear weapons itself is a nuclear deterrent, so the probability of starting a Cold War is very low.
I don't think this will spark a 2nd Cold War. This one incident isn't enough to do so. However, I do see this as a part of a trend. Since the annexation of Crimea, Russia has slowly been testing the international community for a breaking point. Hopefully they won't find that point.
While I don’t think there’s enough evidence right now to point to the start of a second Cold War between the United States and Russia, this expulsion of Russian diplomats is definitely a sign of escalating tensions between the two countries, as well as among other allies of the United States. I believe that this was an appropriate reaction to Russia’s actions, especially in the context of other international conflicts regarding Russia, such as alleged Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election and Russia’s disputed annexation of Crimea. I agree with Alex that the United State’s retaliation is relatively mild; however, any further action on the part of the United States has the potential of moving US-Russia relations to an irreversible place.
I think a second Cold War is an extreme statement. However, it is good that the US is taking a stand against Russia, though expelling diplomats may not be the most productive move. Also, several consulates have been closed which seems like a poor choice, given that negatively effects Russian immigrants and US citizens trying to obtain a visa to go to Russia. It seems like the Trump administration made this very public decision to separate itself from the Russians.
I think what the US did by retracting Russian diplomats was an appropriate and proportionate response to Russia's inhumane treatment of the spy, especially when taking into account the collateral damage that ensued. Like I said, the US's response was big enough to send a message but in no way do I think it would come anywhere close to inciting another war, at least at the moment. Russia and the US's relations may be tenuous but I believe that we live in a different time period and it'll take a lot more direct conflict for another war to occur. I think it's a step in the right direction for the US, especially because of recent allegations of cooperative relationships between the US's government officials and Russia. This will send a message that we won't comply to their unjust actions.
I agree with the other bloggers, it would be extremely rash and improbable to say that this will start another cold war. Throughout history, the majority of wars has been fought over attempting to take land. More land meant more resources and that meant more power. However, the way the world is now with how trading and outsourcing works, most countries are able to live with some level of comfort. This new found security has completely changed the landscape for how war works and what kind of things prompt that kind of aggressive action. Most tension is usually avoided, or attempted to be avoided through diplomatic relationships.
The expulsion of diplomats could, however, could symbolize the move toward less diplomatic, and more aggressive relationships. It seems our relationship with Russia has been deteriorating recently from many events including the possible interference in the recent presidential election. I think the U.S. does need to respond firmly, but removing the medium through which diplomacy is made may not have been the best choice in avoiding conflict.
I think the US took the right course of action in response to the poisoning. This is a tricky situation, and a misstep on either side here could lead to a rise in tensions. However, I do not think this could spark a second Cold War. It seems a little premature to tell if we could be in a situation like that with Russia again, especially over this, but I still believe it is in our country's best interest to play it safe and not attempt to stir the pot, so to speak. Keeping peace and good relations with other countries is paramount, especially in times like these, when our president is someone so inexperienced and prone to criticism and scorn from foreign leaders.
Honestly, Russia is trying to be provocative with public assassinations like this and a withdrawal of diplomats from Russia is a warranted response although we must be careful in eliminating all correspondence with a nation as that can only lead to further distrust between powers and possible miscommunications. I believe the first step in the wrong direction came under Obama when the US took steps to provide US Patriot missiles to Poland following the Russian annexation of Crimea. I felt it was a justified response but albeit an inflammatory move to enable a NATO power to defend itself and ultimately nullify any nuclear threat posed by Russia.
If the goal of the Trump administration is to distance itself from Russia, it has successfully done so and possibly with detrimental effects to the balance of the international system. Hopefully, the administration understands the implications of withdrawing US diplomats and losing direct contact with Russia and has a plan on how to deal with it in the future.
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201803281062980196-poland-us-patriot-missile-systems/
I believe that US is doing a good job doing what they can do to punish Russia for their actions while not being too extreme. Expelling diplomats may seem too harsh for many people, but poisoning someone is also pretty harsh itself. The tensions growing between US and Russia, especially with the American people and Russian leadership, could spark something pretty intense, but hopefully not as intense as a second Cold War. But despite all this, I can't say that this is a step in the right direction, since doing so is still provoking some sort of negative emotion from Russia, and expelling diplomats will definitely have some outcome shortly that Americans will have to face.
I definitely approve of the US's decision to expel Russian diplomats, but what concerns me is Russia's erratic decisions of late. It has annexed Crimea, interfered with US elections, and even launched powerful rockets which they claim can land "anywhere in the world". These patterns force me to question Vladimir Putin's mastermind plan behind all of these actions. Is Putin trying to expand Russia into a global superpower? And if so, why would he do so by conducting such provocative actions? China seems to have the same agenda, but does so using conventional methods that hide deeper, selfish interests within. Yet Russia is acting in an outright "evil", unacceptable way that is not culturally nor politically appropriate in a conventional manner. What's the deal with that? I believe that a larger conflict is brewing under this, which will have to be resolved later in the 21st century.
I support the U.S's action to deport Russian diplomats after continued strained relations between the two countries. It seems that currently, a cyber war of between the countries as well as strained political and growing tension has resulted in these strong reactions from the United States.
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