Dear Friends,
An accurate appraisal of U.S.- Russia history appeared three days ago in the Boston Review by Thomas Graham. Over the decades, Graham has been a highly respected U.S. State Department official and thought leader. During Trump’s early days after the election, he was one of two insiders expected to get the role of Ambassador to Russia. He is a highly intelligent, knowledgeable expert on U.S.- Russia issues.
I’ve interacted with Tom since the late 80’s. His door was always open to me. I found that he had an exceptional ability to understand what is going on in Russia when others had little comprehension at all––but he said little publicly. After leaving U.S. State Department positions, he joined Henry Kissinger as the Managing Director of Kissinger Associates. We have taken our CCI Russian entrepreneurs to him there for discussions, something that he clearly enjoyed.
Knowing Tom had to rein in his public utterances given his role with the U.S. State Department, et al, I had always hoped that someday he would play an external role in helping Congress members and presidential advisors determine U.S. Russia policy.
Today on opening my emails I found the article below, giving the clearest picture to American officials and the public about the facts regarding the U.S.- Russia relationship up to today.
The article, “THE PUTIN PROBLEM” is quite explicit. He tells the U.S.- Russia history as it happened year by year, treading lightly at times, but in most cases showing that both Gorbachev and Putin were trying to cooperate yet having challenges relative to the positions taken by Washington. One can see how U.S. policy has perplexed, frightened and solidified the policies of Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin … and why the U.S.- Russia relationship has become so dangerous today.
At the article’s end, he provides three current scenarios that U.S. policy makers have in front of them along with the challenges inherent in each choice; it’s clear where he stands with these three alternatives. Hopefully this article will circulate among House and Senate Republicans and Democrats and they will take his presentation of facts seriously.
Could something be brewing in Washington that opens the door for this U.S.- Russia expert to speak out more clearly than before? Please read his carefully written piece in the link below:
http://bostonreview.net/politics/thomas-graham-rajan-menon-putin-problem
My “hope level” is increased by this article, since I’m quite sure it will be read by a number of those in decision making positions in Washington. Hopefully this and other pieces will begin to dilute mainstream media’s demonizing of Putin and Russia and some semblance of “engagement leavened by realism” could be the result going forward.
More to follow,
Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives