Trump and the Russians

Timothy Stanley:
Trump's shockingly honest approach to Putin

...
They are not, I suspect, motivated by Slavophilia or a passion for Russian orthodoxy. Rather, they see Putin for what he really is: a strong man in a weak position. Russia's economy and army are antiquated and not particularly strong -- and the country is surrounded by a ring of NATO countries committed to mutual defense.

All Putin really has to his advantage is a lot of hackers and an arsenal of nuclear weapons. The latter is why we still have to be very, very careful when dealing with him.
...
This seems a refreshingly honest appraisal of the situation with Russia rather than the hysteria at the NY Times and Washington Post.   He also takes on the criticism by the left of the cabinet appointments which he generally finds as good.

Elsewhere, I have seen a comparison that shows the South Korean economy is stronger than that of Russia.  Russia has a shrinking population made up of many who deal with their depression by putting their head in a vodka jug.  You get a good idea of how limited Putin is militarily by the fiasco of his sole carrier dumping planes into the Mediterranean.

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