Putin is Betting on Europe's Weakness, Says Washington Post

The summits in Alaska and China have emboldened Vladimir Putin, who is intensifying his efforts to pressure Ukraine and undermine the previously strong US-European alliance. The Washington Post writes about this.

Another manifestation of transatlantic disagreements was the statement by US President Donald Trump that he underestimates the seriousness of the incursion of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles into Poland. The day before, the US President announced that he would tighten sanctions against Russia only after all NATO countries stop buying Russian oil.

"Putin is betting on Europe's weakness and America's indifference, constantly pushing his goals, which clearly go beyond the borders of Ukraine," says Gabrielius Landsbergis, the former Lithuanian foreign minister.

"The aggressive actions against Poland clearly show that his intentions go much further, and the only question is where he will draw the line."

According to Landsbergis, Trump's call for other NATO countries to stop buying Russian oil before the US imposes sanctions was "a way of declaring that the US does not want to impose sanctions on Russia."