Is the Third Cold War Cancelled?

Obama had also promised Russia global isolation, although, why frighten a mere “regional power” that cannot do anything anyway? But the European Union, for example, is not eager to isolate Russia: Trade turnover between Russia and the EU is $335 billion a year. It is much higher than the $40 billion of trade turnover between Russia and the United States. Thus, it is highly unprofitable for the Europeans to isolate Russia, no matter what the American president might think. In fact, it is the other way around, and the talks about easing the visa regime for Russians to EU countries have started. So much for severe international isolation.

The crisis in Crimea is not the only instance where Barack Obama has made no sense and lacked logic. He also promised gas in large volumes to the EU. He wants to thwart Gazprom, establish a free market, and get off “the Russian oil needle.” The only problem with the supply of gas to Europe from the U.S. is that the Americans do not have much gas yet. According to the most optimistic projections, if in three years the U.S. builds sufficient capacity for liquefaction, by 2020, it will probably be able to reach the export capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year. That is wonderful, but most unlikely to make Russia’s Gazprom loose peaceful sleep — even now, it sells about four to five times more, or about 150 billion cubic meters of gas a year to western European countries.

It is quite possible that because more Europeans are down to earth and live in reality — unlike Obama, who dreams about spherical gas terminals in a vacuum in the distant future — Europe is not eager to boycott Russia economically or impose other sanctions that the U.S. is promoting. Because protesting by “cutting off your nose to spite your face” looks great only at a very young age, and then, only for a short time — after the first time, kids realize it hurts.

However, not everyone seems to notice that pain. Obama, for example, did not notice that his ratings in the U.S. fell even lower and continue to fall. Now, 59 percent of Americans disapprove of their president. This is a larger number of unhappy Americans, as compared to a previous survey conducted in December 2013. The results of the survey demonstrate the dissatisfaction related to the expectation for the president to not only make statements, but also do something, preferably to the benefit of the country.

Because what we have now is that with Obama having declared a national emergency, the “public expected blood, but he ate the bird,” [a scenario] almost out of Saltykov-Shcedrin. Almost, because Obama did not even eat the “bird;” he just shook his finger at it unconvincingly.*

*Translator’s note: This references an allegorical tale “Bears in Government,” by Saltykov-Shcedrin, a Russian satirical writer who criticized the sociopolitical situation in the country. In this tale, the bear was sent by a lion to the forest to bring things to order. The bear accidentally ate the bird that was causing trouble in the forest before even punishing him, making all the other animals mad, as they expected to see how the bird was going to be punished.