# Kissing his ass \[Trump and Putin\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 22, 2018, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368 "2018-07-22T04:26:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chip\_Dundas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5a626/32.png) [@Chip\_Dundas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chip_Dundas)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/1 "2018-07-22T04:26:54Z")
Everyone seems to think Trump kisses Putin’s ass but he sent weapons to Ukraine to fight Russia, right? Or what about his bombing of Assad forces? Or what about troops in Poland, you know, the country we and England sold down a river after world war II. How is that kissing Putin’s ass? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/2 "2018-07-22T04:36:37Z")
Ваши идеи интригуют меня, и я хочу подписаться на ваш информационный бюллетень. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/3 "2018-07-22T04:40:48Z")
We sold all of Eastern Europe “down a river” if “selling” is defined as “not going to war against the USSR along a front stretching from the North Sea to the Mediterranean Sea in 1945 to kick them out”, which is what it would have taken. Syria… didn’t they get that airfield fixed _that night_? Didn’t we broadcast our intentions by telling Russia that this was going to happen? [Oh, yeah, it was fixed and we did tell Russia prior.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Shayrat_missile_strike) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/4 "2018-07-22T04:52:36Z")
> [@Chip\_Dundas](#): > > How is that kissing Putin’s ass? [How is this not kissing Putin’s ass?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp69_X3Df3g) ---
**Author:** ![Chip\_Dundas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5a626/32.png) [@Chip\_Dundas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chip_Dundas)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/5 "2018-07-22T05:21:57Z")
Thanks John. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/6 "2018-07-22T06:51:17Z")
This is one of those issues that I’m afraid my fellow Dems are stuck in the bubble. Fact is, Trump hasn’t been a total door mat to Putin. The problem with Trump is, optics. Trump speaks so fondly of Putin, that it makes all the sanctions and other things that you mention seem moot. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/7 "2018-07-22T08:48:24Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > This is one of those issues that I’m afraid my fellow Dems are stuck in the bubble. > > Fact is, Trump hasn’t been a total door mat to Putin. > > The problem with Trump is, optics. Trump speaks so fondly of Putin, that it makes all the sanctions and other things that you mention seem moot. Sanctions - you mean the sanctions Congress passed over a Trump veto, and which [Trump then refused to enforce](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions/trump-administration-holds-off-on-new-russia-sanctions-despite-law-idUSKBN1FI2V7)? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/8 "2018-07-22T10:24:06Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Sanctions - you mean the sanctions Congress passed over a Trump veto, and which [Trump then refused to enforce](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions/trump-administration-holds-off-on-new-russia-sanctions-despite-law-idUSKBN1FI2V7)? The article you linked to is six months old. They have since enforced those sanctions. That said, let me amend my previous post: Trump has done barely enough to give himself plausible deniability WRT Russia. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/9 "2018-07-22T10:28:28Z")
> [@Chip\_Dundas](#): > > Everyone seems to think Trump kisses Putin’s ass but he sent weapons to Ukraine to fight Russia, right? Or what about his bombing of Assad forces? Or what about troops in Poland, you know, the country we and England sold down a river after world war II. > > How is that kissing Putin’s ass? You might hear some crazy talk about me being happily married and having a wife, but that’s bullshit. When I was in college, I used to go out to dive bars and try very hard to pick up girls. Sometimes I’d even take them home. How is THAT being happily married? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/10 "2018-07-22T10:33:55Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > The article you linked to is six months old. They have since enforced those sanctions. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/11 "2018-07-22T10:58:12Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Cite? [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/16/heres-where-trump-has-been-tough-on-russia--and-where-hes-backed-do.html) > [@](#): > > Sanctions were finally imposed on members of Russia’s elite and their business entities in April, after 13 Russians were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for “malicious cyber-enabled activities” in March. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/12 "2018-07-22T12:28:21Z")
He has done the minimal necessary for plausible deniability. Now compare to Bush’s reaction to 9/11 and Roosevelt’s to Pearl Harbor. I think it’s fair to call it kissing Putin’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/13 "2018-07-22T13:02:15Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/16/heres-where-trump-has-been-tough-on-russia--and-where-hes-backed-do.html) > > > [@](#): > > > > Sanctions were finally imposed on members of Russia’s elite and their business entities in April, after 13 Russians were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for “malicious cyber-enabled activities” in March. It doesn’t give many more details than that. I also found [this](https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-warner-brown-request-multiagency-review-on-russia-sanctions-implementation) release from May; a letter from three senators alleging that the full sanctions passed by Congress have still not been implemented. > [@](#): > > We are writing to request that you conduct a review of your respective department’s/community’s role in implementing the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions law (CAATSA), signed by President Trump on August 2, 2017. > > Several mandatory provisions of the law have not been implemented by the administration, despite strong evidence that actions taken by or on behalf of the Russian government are in violation of the CAATSA sanctions law and applicable executive orders codified by CAATSA. For example, the U.S. government released a joint statement on April 16, 2018 with British authorities that accused Russian government-backed hackers of conducting cyber attacks in other countries, including the U.S., which should trigger sanctions under Section 224 of CAATSA. Yet the administration has not imposed any such sanctions in response, nor has it issued waivers under this provision. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/14 "2018-07-22T13:48:06Z")
Please make your title descriptive enough for the reader to know what the thread is about. Title edited. > [@Chip\_Dundas](#): > > Everyone seems to think Trump kisses Putin’s ass but he sent weapons to Ukraine to fight Russia, right? Or what about his bombing of Assad forces? Or what about troops in Poland, you know, the country we and England sold down a river after world war II. > > How is that kissing Putin’s ass? ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/15 "2018-07-22T14:07:11Z")
The Trump Administration has been tough on Russia, but a lot of that was driven by a Congressional mandate. I think it goes to show that we aren’t an authoritarian regime yet. Trump did campaign on lifting sanctions - this link is amusing. > **[Trump Told Woman Charged As Kremlin Agent He'd Drop Russian Sanctions](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-agent-russia-sanctions_n_5b4d19e7e4b0de86f485b0a5)** > > "We get along with Putin," Trump told Maria Butina during his campaign. However, TRUMP fails to approach Putin and Russia with the requisite cynicism and caution. In other words, TRUMP still kisses up to Putin, even as his administration screws him, in a weird geopolitical three-way, A lot of that is because Trump is stupid and easily manipulated. He has no understanding of geopolitics and he seems cool with the abuses of authoritarian regimes. This is evidenced by his insistence on calling Putin a “competitor”. In the span of a week, he 1. Tried to get the G7 to readmit Russia 2. Promoted an “incredible deal” he wanted to make with Putin. We would give Putin’s investigator’s access to the Mueller investigation ( so they could “help”) in exchange for handing several American citizens - including a former diplomat - over to Russian police. This one astounds me most of all. Because Trump is giving up two things that are against US interests in exchange for nothing. 1. Suggested that the Russians would’ve been stronger in their persecution of Hillary than the US if she’d been Russian - or something, it was garbled, maybe he was advocating handing Hillary over to the Russians. 2. Told the world that he believed Putin over his own intelligence agencies. 3. Invited Putin to the White House without consulting with his security advisors. 4. According to Russian state media - which is how we find things out about Trump and Russia, Trump is considering endorsing “free” elections on Crimea. This is among the crap that Putin left Trump to “mull over” And there was the time he invited all those Russians into the Oval Office to brag about firing Comey. When asked why, he said something to the effect of “Putin asked me to, am I going to say no?” That said, I think Putin and Russia are learning about Trumps dealmaking style the hard way. Because apparently “the art of the deal” is to agree to whatever your “competitor” wants when he’s at the table. But then you only deliver what you want to deliver and make the guy sue you. Because Trump is basically a wimp, even though he talks big and he can’t stand up for himself at the negotiating table. So Putin and Russia did get a raw deal when they helped Trump win. The Republicans should not be so cavalier about the election interference. It might not work in their favor next time. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/16 "2018-07-22T14:07:54Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Ваши идеи интригуют меня, и я хочу подписаться на ваш информационный бюллетень. Okay it was _definitely_ worth going to google translate for this one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/17 "2018-07-22T14:23:35Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > The Trump Administration has been tough on Russia, but a lot of that was driven by a Congressional mandate. I think it goes to show that we aren’t an authoritarian regime yet. Trump did campaign on lifting sanctions - this link is amusing. > > [Trump Told Woman Charged As Kremlin Agent He'd Drop Russia Sanctions | HuffPost Latest News](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-agent-russia-sanctions_us_5b4d19e7e4b0de86f485b0a5) > > However, TRUMP fails to approach Putin and Russia with the requisite cynicism and caution. In other words, TRUMP still kisses up to Putin, even as his administration screws him, in a weird geopolitical three-way, > > A lot of that is because Trump is stupid and easily manipulated. He has no understanding of geopolitics and he seems cool with the abuses of authoritarian regimes. This is evidenced by his insistence on calling Putin a “competitor”. > > In the span of a week, he > > 1. Tried to get the G7 to readmit Russia > > 2. Promoted an “incredible deal” he wanted to make with Putin. We would give Putin’s investigator’s access to the Mueller investigation ( so they could “help”) in exchange for handing several American citizens - including a former diplomat - over to Russian police. > > This one astounds me most of all. Because Trump is giving up two things that are against US interests in exchange for nothing. > > 1. Suggested that the Russians would’ve been stronger in their persecution of Hillary than the US if she’d been Russian - or something, it was garbled, maybe he was advocating handing Hillary over to the Russians. > > 2. Told the world that he believed Putin over his own intelligence agencies. > > 3. Invited Putin to the White House without consulting with his security advisors. > > 4. According to Russian state media - which is how we find things out about Trump and Russia, Trump is considering endorsing “free” elections on Crimea. This is among the crap that Putin left Trump to “mull over” > > And there was the time he invited all those Russians into the Oval Office to brag about firing Comey. When asked why, he said something to the effect of “Putin asked me to, am I going to say no?” > > That said, I think Putin and Russia are learning about Trumps dealmaking style the hard way. Because apparently “the art of the deal” is to agree to whatever your “competitor” wants when he’s at the table. But then you only deliver what you want to deliver and make the guy sue you. Because Trump is basically a wimp, even though he talks big and he can’t stand up for himself at the negotiating table. > > So Putin and Russia did get a raw deal when they helped Trump win. > > The Republicans should not be so cavalier about the election interference. It might not work in their favor next time. He also suggested trading Montenegro to Russia in exchange for Russian aid with North Korea. This is akin to sacrificing your daughter to Dracula, in the hopes that he’ll put a word in with the Devil and help you skip out on Hell. I.e., evil and stupid. That the man entertained the idea pretty well tells you that he’s either the largest moron in all of history, simply an enormous psychopath, or screwed a 14 year old in the Moscow Marriott. I personally vote for all three, since the first two are necessary for the third and anyone with the first two would do the third, and so it is. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/18 "2018-07-22T14:36:05Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Ваши идеи интригуют меня, и я хочу подписаться на ваш информационный бюллетень. rofl Is he still being referred to as the кожаный колбаса ? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/19 "2018-07-22T14:53:12Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Please make your title descriptive enough for the reader to know what the thread is about. > > Title edited. Eh, I think it was fairly obvious what this was going to be about! ---
**Author:** ![Chip\_Dundas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5a626/32.png) [@Chip\_Dundas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chip_Dundas)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368/20 "2018-07-23T02:25:35Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > He has done the minimal necessary for plausible deniability. > > Now compare to Bush’s reaction to 9/11 and Roosevelt’s to Pearl Harbor. > > I think it’s fair to call it kissing Putin’s ass. Comparing this to 9/11 or Pearl harbor is the height of lunacy. How stupid are you? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-his-ass-trump-and-putin/818368.md?page=2)