Putin: ‘The ball is in America’s court’ to improve relations

Putin: ‘The ball is in America’s court’ to improve relations
https://www.conservativeinstitute.org/foreign-policy/vladimir-putin-us-russia.htm?June 9, 2018

Putin: ‘The ball is in America’s court’ to improve relations
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With the Russian collusion investigation acting as the political force majeure hampering U.S.-Russia relations, President Vladimir Putin communicated his eagerness to clear the air and establish fresh dialogue with his American counterpart. During an interview with Russian state media, Putin argued that the U.S. “domestic political situation” stood in the way of improved relations between the rival countries.

While acknowledging the political pressure that Trump is facing, Putin asked the U.S. president to keep the campaign promise he made for a Russian reset. “I believe that the ball is in America’s court,” he said.

21st-Century Détente
Putin was careful to strike a reverential tone when describing the U.S. president, praising his political shrewdness and repeatedly referring to him on familiar terms by calling him “Donald.” The Russian president remained cautiously diplomatic, cushioning criticism with flattery while seeking a 21st-century détente. He explained:

The experience I have with the president of the United States tells me that even though his actions are often criticized, especially recently, including on the international arena and in the economic sphere, he is still a reflective person and he is able to listen and react to another person’s arguments. All this tells me that dialogue can be constructive.

Putin described Trump as a man of his word, before requesting that the Republican president honor his pledge to restore amicable relations with Russia. “A lot of things deserve to be criticized” in Trump’s actions, Putin said. “But there’s one circumstance that I’ve mentioned previously: Trump keeps the promises that he made in his campaign.”

Putin continued: “One of those promises was to improve Russian-American relations. I hope that this also takes place. At any rate, we are ready for this. I believe that the ball is in America’s court.”

Russia-obsessed 
To borrow from Putin’s metaphor, if the ball is so clearly in America’s court, Team Democrat maintains possession and is deliberately running out the game clock. To their own detriment, progressives have staked their political future on the sinking Russia collusion ship.

Liberal pundit Jordan Chariton railed against this strategy, writing way back in February 2017: “Establishment Democrats and some Republicans have made a collective mad dash to the cameras to convince the American people that Russia is the source of all of our ills.”

Writing for The Hill, conservative activist Alexandra Smith agreed with this assessment. “Talk to Democrats in D.C. these days and chances are good they will be fixated on Russia,” she wrote. “They won’t be talking about their economic message, their path back to power, or their solution on what to do about a failing healthcare system.”

Should Trump focus on improving US-Russia relations?
Yes
No
In a bipartisan bid to undercut Trump’s executive authority, Congress issued a fresh trade embargo against Russia in 2017 and hamstrung the president’s ability to shape foreign policy by making it nearly impossible for him to the end the sanctions. Trump reluctantly approved the legislation after calling it “significantly flawed,” while Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev remarked, “The hope that our relations with the new American administration would improve is finished.”

Of course, Trump hasn’t exactly made a Russian reset a strategic priority within his administration. He has unilaterally issued sanctions of his own, expelled dozens of Russian diplomats, closed the Russian consulate in Seattle, and even approved U.S. airstrikes in Syria which may have killed up to 100 Russian nationals.

Waiting game
Despite this volatile relationship, Putin remains surprisingly optimistic, telling Russian media that “from the very beginning, meaning after Mr. Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. We responded from the very beginning that such personal meetings were not just a possibility but were useful. … ”

Still, the Russian chief executive has his reservations. “The only question is: Will the domestic political situation in the United States allow this to be done?”

Until the special counsel investigation concludes, and Democrats move on from pursuing fantastical conspiracy theories, Putin may have to wait until 2020 for answers to his question.