Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Ian Proud
“‘For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction,’ said President Vladimir Putin on the stage of his yearly economic Forum in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 2017. I sat among the vast, mostly Russian, audience, and dwelled on Newton’s third law. During four and a half years at the British Embassy in Moscow, I’d learned one important lesson: Russia always responds in kind, both to aggression and to engagement. President-elect Trump should think how he might trade with Putin on this basis. Reciprocity is the most predictable tenet of Russian statecraft and Russia’s policy towards Ukraine offers the perfect illustration.” (11/18/24)