Obama to CNN: Putin is no chessmaster, “he’s presiding over the collapse of his currency, a major financial crisis and a huge economic contraction”

Just six days after the ruble devaluation, President Obama went on CNN to claim a mini victory over Putin, Russia, and even some Washington hawks who wanted a more forceful policy towards the Russian Federation.

In the interview, CNN’s State of the Union host Candy Crowley gave President Obama a chance to respond to critics who had been praising Putin for his leadership qualities, while mocking Obama for his lack thereof.

The implication, Crowley said, was that Obama was a sort of foreign policy nitwit, who had been “rolled” by the Russian president.

Obama then had this to say…

“There was a spate of stories about ‘He was the chess master, outmanoeuvring the West and outmanoeuvring Mr. Obama’ and this and that and the other.”

“Right now, he’s presiding over the collapse of his currency, a major financial crisis and a huge economic contraction. That doesn’t sound like somebody who had rolled me, or the United States of America.” 

The President then went on to criticise opponents who were angry his administration hadn’t been more forceful in its initial response to Russia.

“There is this knee-jerk sense, I think, on the part of some in the foreign establishment that shooting first and thinking about it second projects strength.”

“I disagree… We have been very firm with respect to those countries we think are violating international law or are acting against our interests.” 

We doubt Putin cares much about Obama’s little victory lap, let him take it.

The boomerang effects of this failed US policy towards Russia will inevitably end badly for both Europe and the US. Will Obama still be in office when all the mischief and misadventures come home to roost? Time will tell.

I especially like the last line in Obama’s victory declaration, “We have been very firm with respect to those countries we think are violating international law or are acting against our interests.”  

What special interests does America have in Ukraine? Perhaps Mrs. Nuland or Hunter Biden would care to answer.