Saakashvili Offers Trump Advice on Relations with Russia

In an article published yesterday in The Federalist, former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili opines on US President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland. In the article, titled, “Just Like Obama, Trump’s Russia Policy Speaks Louder Than His Words,” Saakashvili argues that Trump’s response to Putin was not as “shameful” as most observers have perceived it.

He argues that the outrage against Trump’s words (or lack thereof) in Helsinki is selective – other American politicians have held less than a hard line against Russia in recent years. He also argues that while Trump’s rhetoric may have been weak, his actions, more importantly, have been strong. “After a lifetime of firsthand experience with Russian aggression, I must evaluate Trump’s actions against the historical context. In doing so, I find Trump’s actions speak for themselves,” writes Saakashvili.

Saakashvili claims that former President Barack Obama’s weak foreign policy and unwillingness to engage in international conflicts gave Putin room to maneuver regarding Ukraine. “Putin is a bully,” Saakashvili insists, “but not a fool.”

Trump’s strongest moves against Russia, according to Saakashvili, came when he “authorized the sale of lethal defensive weapons to both Ukraine and Georgia in 2017” and when “the Trump administration went beyond the congressional mandate in sanctioning Russian authorities involved in the annexation of Crimea. Earlier this year, the United States imposed the harshest sanctions yet, targeting Russian oligarchs as well as government officials.”

“Nevertheless,” writes the former Georgian leader, “I must caution President Trump that criticizing domestic opponents in front of foreign adversaries could have been misperceived by Putin as a concession.” He recommends several steps Trump can take to show Putin that he is not, in fact, conceding to Russia. First, a return to a Reagan-era containment policy, second, to lobby for an amped-up NATO presence in Eastern Europe, specifically by offering Georgia and Ukraine MAP, and third, being prepared to active the ‘nuclear option’ of sanctions: blocking Russia’s access to the SWIFT international payment system, which would cripple average Russians’ ability to conduct everyday commerce with international companies.

Saakashvili condemns Putin, calling him “pure evil” and saying “There is no doubt in my mind that US intelligence agencies arrived at the correct conclusion: Russia did meddle in the US 2016 election, and Putin himself directed the operation.”

You can read the full article here.

The Federalist is a conservative online magazine, based in the US, that covers politics, policy, culture, and religion.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: Kremlin.ru / Wikimedia