We knew well before the first Republican presidential debate on August 6 that most of the GOP candidates don’t like Vladimir Putin or President Obama’s reset policy—instead, they advocate getting tough with Moscow. Perhaps the second debate on September 16 will give them a chance to describe more fully how they would deal with the Kremlin.
Villainizing Putin
It’s clear that Republican candidates don’t think much of Putin or the Russian leadership in general. Jeb Bush led off his Europe tour in June with a blast aimed at Moscow, calling Putin “a bully” and the Kremlin “corrupt.” Carly Fiorina termed the Russian …read more
Source: Brookings