"American military power is in a state of decline that will require a decade or more to reverse. In pursuit of true military strength, President Trump should not conflate the eagerness of his senior military leaders to comply with his policies or ideas as evidence of loyalty, professionalism or agreement. In Washington, DC, there is never a shortage of sycophantic, blowhard generals and admirals whose own experience with real war is at best at a cocktail level of familiarity....
Before President Trump schedules a future meeting with President Vladimir Putin, he should abandon the false narratives of Russian weakness and alleged “Ukrainian strength” from Keith Kellogg, Marco Rubio, and a host of neocons on the Hill. He also needs to pay attention to revelations about the true state of readiness of the U.S. Armed Forces.
A truthful briefing may give the president pause to reconsider pushing Moscow to the edge, hoping for a “win” that he can broadcast to the American public."
Please read more on RS today here: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/ukraine-trump-putin/
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Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
Editorial Director, Responsible Statecraft/Senior Advisor, Quincy Institute
Washington, D.C