Trump to Putin: “I Promised No New Sanctions - I Delivered” мой друг (My Friend)

Handshake and “Art of the Con” Heard Around the World

(Now the chickens come to roost)

From the August 2, 2017 background story here, in part: New sanctions on Russia.

Congress overwhelmingly approved that legislation that conflicts with Trump’s desire to improve relations with Moscow.

However, Trump signed the bill behind closed doors, without the fanfare that has customarily accompanied his signing of Executive Orders. He also criticized the measure as infringing on his powers to shape foreign policy, and said he could make “far better deal with governments than Congress can.”

Meanwhile Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev called the new sanctions tantamount to a “full-scale trade war,” adding in his Facebook post that they show the Trump administration had demonstrated “utter powerlessness” and adding: “The hope that our relations with the new American administration would improve is finished.”

Noteworthy: Trump’s litany of concerns about the sanctions, which also affect Iran and North Korea, raised the question of how vigorously Trump will implement them regarding Russia.

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Now this update and headlines from Crooks and Liars with video clip, too:

Trump Refuses to Impose Congress-Mandated Russian Sanctions

(Note: The ones he signed and discussed above)

Also, related coverage from The Daily Beast here:

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Extract from SOS Rex Tillerson’s memo to Congress notifying them of this sidestep – Tillerson’s entire letter (January 29) can be seen at the Daily Beast link above. Key part is below:

My conclusion: This to say at the very least that is not the biggest story today would be an understatement.

It clearly shows to me and I'm sure to millions of others that Trump is scared of Vlad Putin and that which Putin holds over Trump. 

But more importantly it reinforces what we have known along and that is: Trump’s refusal to acknowledge that Russia was involved in the 2016 election – Trump has never admitted that the overwhelming evidence is proof which he can’t admit it real. 

That is the most relevant part of this entire saga. 

In a nutshell, new or reinforced sanctions hurt Putin and Putin can hurt Trump. Ergo: they both lose.

Trump steps up and helps himself and Vlad – now BFF’s.

This is not over yet - not by a long shot - wait until this decision sinks in.

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