Trump buddies up with Putin as allies strike
WASHINGTON — President Trump’s reluctance to directly condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin is putting him out of step not only with a growing list of U.S. allies, but also his own administration’s actions.
The chasm between the president’s words and government policy widened yesterday when the United States expelled 60 Russian diplomats and shuttered Russia’s consulate in Seattle.
The move was in response to a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in the U.K. — an attack the U.S. and Britain blame on Russia. Allies, including Canada and a host of European countries, joined the U.S. by taking similar actions.
The actions drew swift bipartisan praise, including from lawmakers who have vocally condemned Trump’s soft talk when it comes to Putin.
“The Administration has done the right thing in supporting our British allies,” tweeted Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “We cannot tolerate Russian aggression like this brazen chemical weapons attack on British soil. The US and our allies should keep up the pressure until Russia gets the message.”
Sen. John McCain, (R-Ariz.), who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the move “a welcome step forward in holding Putin accountable for his outrageous chemical attack in Britain,” but urged the administration to follow up “by enforcing robust sanctions on the Russian government.”
But Trump made no public comment or tweet about the actions against Russia, which came after he faced a firestorm of criticism for calling to congratulate Putin after last week’s Russian election — over the all-caps warning from his own national security team not to.
Asked why Trump did not condemn the attack — or even bring it up — when he spoke to Putin on that call, White House spokesman Raj Shah said the president wants to work with Putin where he can.
“There were certainly positive developments on that call, and the president will continue diplomacy with Russia and with Putin,” Shah said, noting that the leaders had a “positive interaction” about nuclear arms. “But, you know, this action by the president is very clear. We’re very heartened that it comes in conjunction with over a dozen allies, both in NATO and EU.”
A senior administration official pushed back on the notion that the president won’t push Putin, saying the U.S.’s punitive action was “a decision that he was involved in from the beginning, and that he personally made after several meetings with his team last week.”