Kremlin counts days to Trump's inauguration, blasts Obama

President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have deferred questions about their plans for future contacts with Trump and any agenda for those talks until he takes office on Friday.

This triggers scenes from The Shining where Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson) is in the hotel's bar talking to Lloyd the bartender. I see Putin as Lloyd giving advice to Jack (Trump). Or maybe Putin is Delbert Grady the caretaker giving Jack the advice.

Russia needs the US more than the US needs Russia, but Trump seems fit to hand away his leverage and deliver it to Putin. Not sure why, and his supporters are in the dark as well.

Will Russian become the first foreign language taught in American schools soon?

SuperLibJAN. 16, 2017 - 08:16AM JST Not sure why, and his supporters are in the dark as well.

True, but if this board is any indication I think their being in denial is a bigger problem than them being in the dark.

Zakharova charged that “Obama and his illiterate foreign policy team have dealt a crushing blow to America’s prestige and leadership” and described his administration as “a bunch of geopolitical losers, enraged and shortsighted.”

A bit harsh but absolutely true ! LOL.

@katsu but if this board is any indication I think their being in denial is a bigger problem than them being in the dark.

But many posters on this board aren't US Americans. Many of the posters are neither in denial nor in the dark. They're fully aware of and favor Trump doing Russia's bidding. These posters recognize their country needs US economic assistance to pull Russia out of its economic slump.

Trump recognizes Russia has valuable resources - gas, oil and an array of minerals - that can help his fellow US business oligarchs get richer and more powerful. The Russians recognize they need monetary and technological help from the US oligarchs to extract, refine and market the resources so they, too can get richer and more powerful. (Plus there's that sticky matter of who Trump might owe bigly.)

The US - Russia alliance is win-win for both US and Russian oligarchs. The other 99%? The oligarchs know that most of the masses will be content with continuing to be trickled down on. And they'll give them WWE and vodka!

The .01% to 1% of both countries and their fellow global elite will benefit from this version of the new world order while the income gap continues to widen.

Obama seems determined to start a war with Russia before he leaves office.

@rawbeer Obama seems determined to start a war with Russia before he leaves office.

Scaremongering with fake news much?

Putin must be beside himself.

Obama seems determined to start a war with Russia before he leaves office.

Scaremongering with fake news much?

In fairness there has been a military buildup (US tanks etc) on NATO's eastern flank, albeit simply the latest episode in tit-for-tat sabre-rattling.

By contrast Trump seems determined to start a war, with Russia, on the environment.

In fairness there has been a military buildup (US tanks etc) on NATO's eastern flank, albeit simply the latest episode in tit-for-tat sabre-rattling.

In fairness, Russia has been actually invading other countries on its Western borders.

That the U.S. is strengthening the defense of its NATO allies is understandable.

In fairness, Russia has been actually invading other countries on its Western borders.

Indeed it has.

Having lived under the very real threat of the USA and Russia slugging it out in the European Theatre, I'll be glad to see a conditional detente between them, especially if it helps end the paradigm of military might. What replaces it might be just as, or even more, unpalatable though.

Russia has been actually invading other countries on its Western borders

WOW! It's not surprising how Hillary got so many votes or why the Kardashian's are top news.

Please, I'd love to see this list of "countries" that Russia is invading?

Ukraine ... unless those are imaginary troops in the Crimea ...

After Obama/CIA overthrew the democratically elected government in Ukraine, right? It's funny, so many people forget that part.

Not so much of an invasion as protecting their military installations from US aggression.

After Obama/CIA overthrew the democratically elected government in Ukraine, right? It's funny, so many people forget that part. Not so much of an invasion as protecting their military installations from US aggression.

Georgia and Ukraine are recent invasions by Russia. Regardless of your and Russia's justifications, they are invasions by Russia.

Russia's military installations were already protected by contracts, similar to the Subic Bay lease in Cuba. What Russia really wanted in Ukraine was to avoid the lease payments or the end of the lease, i.e., they wanted the base to be permanent.

As a result of Russia's military invasions of Georgia and Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Finland are nervous about Russia moving equipment near their border and are increasing their defense budgets and asking for NATO help. NATO is obligated to protect them.

It's funny that you try justify anything by pointing at Obama. Nice scapegoating.

@viking68

Georgia and Ukraine are recent invasions by Russia.

Not true, on both accounts, Check Wikipedia or something for starters.

Crimea: local populace declared independence after Neonazi coup d'etat in Ukraine, and Russian troops defended the population from the same bloodbath that happened in Donbass region. By the way, in Crimea no shots were fired and nobody was hurt. You call it "invasion"??

Georgia: two brigades of US-trained and US-equipped Georgian troops attacked a company of Russian peacekeepers who guarded the breakaway city of Tshinval. Georgians attacked the city with missiles and artillery. I repeat: Georgians were invaders, not Russians, who repelled the agression with full cooperation of local populace who hated Georgians.

And now let's talk about real agressions and invasions, let's talk about the crimes of NATO. Let me remind you that for the last twenty years US/NATO invaded and destroyed FOUR countries: Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, killing hundreds of thousands of people. NATO is the deadliest criminal gang in the world, Russians have every right to take all precautions against it.

It's funny that you try justify anything by pointing at Obama. Nice scapegoating

US invaded Libya during Obama's term. No scapegoating.

So is Russia going to ally more with the US or with the PR of China? I am curious about this .

@Asakaze

"Crimea: local populace declared independence after Neonazi coup d'etat in Ukraine, and Russian troops defended the population from the same bloodbath that happened in Donbass region. By the way, in Crimea no shots were fired and nobody was hurt. You call it "invasion"??

Georgia: two brigades of US-trained and US-equipped Georgian troops attacked a company of Russian peacekeepers who guarded the breakaway city of Tshinval. Georgians attacked the city with missiles and artillery. I repeat: Georgians were invaders, not Russians, who repelled the agression with full cooperation of local populace who hated Georgians.

And now let's talk about real agressions and invasions, let's talk about the crimes of NATO. Let me remind you that for the last twenty years US/NATO invaded and destroyed FOUR countries: Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, killing hundreds of thousands of people. NATO is the deadliest criminal gang in the world, Russians have every right to take all precautions against it."

True. Some western people are so brainwashed by anti-Russian propaganda and unable to notice plain things.

From Wikipedia (for starters):

Following Vladimir Putin's rise to power in Russia in 2000 and a pro-Western change of power in Georgia in 2003, relations between Russia and Georgia began to deteriorate, reaching a full diplomatic crisis by April 2008. By August 1, 2008, Ossetian separatists began shelling Georgian villages, with a sporadic response from Georgian peacekeepers in the region. To put an end to these deadly attacks and restore order, the Georgian Army was sent to the South Ossetian conflict zone on 7 August. Georgians took control of most of Tskhinvali, a separatist stronghold, in hours. Georgia later stated it was also responding to Russia moving non-peacekeeping units into the country.

Russia accused Georgia of "aggression against South Ossetia", and launched a large-scale land, air and sea invasion of Georgia on 8 August with the stated aim of "peace enforcement" operation.

@viking68"Russia accused Georgia of "aggression against South Ossetia", and launched a large-scale land, air and sea invasion of Georgia on 8 August with the stated aim of "peace enforcement" operation."

It was Russian counter-attack to Georgian invasion in South Ossetia. Nothing strange or unusual.

@yamashi

Some western people are so brainwashed by anti-Russian propaganda and unable to notice plain things

Absolutely correct. And here were have a typical example of this brainwashing:

@viking68

Russia accused Georgia of "aggression against South Ossetia", and launched a large-scale land, air and sea invasion of Georgia on 8 August

And the accusation was very well justified: "Tskhinvali was shelled by the Georgian government on 8 August 2008 with BM-21 "Grad" mobile artillery rocket systems in an attempt to regain control over the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. After the bombings, the Georgian army invaded the city in an attempt to gain control on it. The Russian army responded on the following day by moving its own forces into the city and counterattacking the Georgian army". (Wiki) Did you notice? "Georgian army invaded". Russia just responded and saved the local population.

And what about four countries, destroyed by US/NATO? Where is your indignation?