Voice of the White House
September 18, 2016
Washington, D.C.: The days when the United States words and actions forced many countries to fall in line behind her in strict obedience are gone now and in many countries, lip service has vanished. The dominant political figure in the eyes of the Europeans is Vladimir Putin, not Barack Obama. The Russian incursion into Georgia showed uncertain cantonists in Eastern Europe that the United States would not confront Russia if push came to shove and Putin's successful moves in Crimea deprived America of the use of the then-Ukranian naval base at Sevastopol, and, more important, gained Russian control over the extensive and rich Crimean offshore oil fields. No country has openly defied the United States, but a shifting attitude in Europe will eventually lead to open rebellion.