The NYT Rips Putin’s Response to Illegal US Sanctions

The NYT Rips Putin’s Response to Illegal US Sanctions

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)

The Times deplorably called illegal US sanctions on Russia a “civic duty,” ignoring congressional breaching of fundamental international and constitutional law, supporting what demands condemnation.

Putin responded by ordering the reduction of Washington’s diplomatic and support staff in Russia to the same number of their counterparts in America – effective September 1.

Washington’s southern Moscow warehouses and Serebryany Bor property were frozen, access by US personnel suspended as of August 1.

Putin said he acted “(b)ecause the American side once again made an absolutely ungrounded…step to deteriorate the Russian-US relations, imposing illegal restrictions and trying to press other countries, including its allies, which are interested in the development and maintaining of relations with Russia.”

His modest action was long overdue, entirely justified in response to unacceptable US policies toward Russia.

The Times: Putin’s “announcement (was) an aggressive response to new American sanctions that seemed ripped right from the Cold War playbook and sure to increase tensions between the two capitals.”

Fact: He’s been remarkably restrained for years, his patience finally running out, realizing prospects for improved ties with Washington are nil.

Fact: Washington bears full responsibility for unacceptable hostility toward Russia, a deplorable situation heading things toward possible conflict between the world’s leading nuclear powers.

In response to Putin’s action, the State Department said it’s “a regrettable and uncalled-for act. We are assessing the impact of such a limitation and how we will respond to it.”

More unacceptable harshness from America will assure a tit-for-tat response from Moscow – polar opposite what responsible diplomatic relations are supposed to be. Things seem headed from bad to worse because bipartisan neocons infesting Washington reject normalized ties.

The Times: “(T)he Kremlin may be looking for places to challenge the United States.”

Russia seeks cooperative relations with Washington and all other countries, based on respect for its sovereign rights – what all nations expect and deserve.

America pursues dominance over all other countries, naked aggression its favored strategy of choice to achieve its objectives.

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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

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