Obama taunts Putin: Weak-ass punk
I think that President Obama is fundamentally correct in saying the obvious, that Putin’s Russia is no longer a superpower. He stood outside Putin‘s apartment house yesterday and yelled up, “Russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors, not out of strength but out of weakness.” That said, weak players ...
I think that President Obama is fundamentally correct in saying the obvious, that Putin's Russia is no longer a superpower. He stood outside Putin's apartment house yesterday and yelled up, "Russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors, not out of strength but out of weakness."
I think that President Obama is fundamentally correct in saying the obvious, that Putin’s Russia is no longer a superpower. He stood outside Putin‘s apartment house yesterday and yelled up, “Russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors, not out of strength but out of weakness.”
That said, weak players can still punch strong players in the nose, if they are more willing to take the pain than the big guy is. For more on this, see LBJ, 1964-1968.
More from Foreign Policy
A New Multilateralism
How the United States can rejuvenate the global institutions it created.
America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want
Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.
The Endless Frustration of Chinese Diplomacy
Beijing’s representatives are always scared they could be the next to vanish.
The End of America’s Middle East
The region’s four major countries have all forfeited Washington’s trust.
Sign up for World Brief
FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.