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Politics turned on its head

Ever since the coup that overthrew the Ukrainian government in 2014, American politics has been turned on its head. With the State Department taking the lead, the elected government of Victor Yanukovych was overthrown by the remnants of the “Orange Revolution” of 2005. John McCain and Victoria Nuland once more overturned a regime and wanted it included in NATO. It was the boldest foray against Russia since Brest-Litovsk. Naturally, Vladimir Putin fought back.

Since 2014, a war in the Donbass region has been waging a result of the overthrow of the pro-Moscow regime. American efforts to place friendly faces in the government have fallen short. First, it was Yatsenyuk or “Yats.” He was deposed. Second was the fall of Yulia Tymoshenko and finally the defeat of Petro Poroshenko. Now, you have Volodymyr Zelensky, the comedian. Moreover, the United States feeds this bankrupt regime arms.

So it has been, but the more the United States pushes the worse it gets. Democrats and Republicans in Congress pass resolutions supporting the regime. When Donald Trump tried to stop money to Kiev, a coalition led by Dick Durbin and Lindsay Graham forced 250 million of equipment delivered. The Congress wants war — no question — Trump does not. But of course Mike Pompeo remains, but his militarism has yet to be manifested. But the lords of intervention has many tools in their box.

But it cannot be said that Trump has played a very astute game. Instead of addressing the barriers to a Russian-American rapprochement, he dances around the issue. He essentially appoints the same person that he fired. Trump rightly go rid of John Bolton only to have a conversation with Zelensky leaked to the press. With Pompeo still leering over his shoulder he has the same state of affairs that he believed he adjusted weeks before. Because he is too clever by half, he finds himself digging a hole for himself.

Now Trump’s evoking of Hunter Biden’s business transactions are relevant, his suggestion of impropriety appears off base. It is still relevant to wonder how the vice president’s son go on the board of directors of a Ukrainian company shortly after the coup is fair game the charge of corruption falls short. But the conviction of Paul Manafort, Trump’s 2019 campaign chairman and a supporter of Yanukovych places him in a bind.

Ukraine threatens to poison American foreign policy. Obviously the goal set before Trump became president was to place America in a superior position in Eastern Europe placing a dagger close to the heart of Russia. By using self-righteousness as policy and not clear reasoning, the United States has gone deeply into a country it does not understand. Trump has not truly gauged what he is up against.

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