California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has emerged as the most consistent critic of U.S. policy toward Russia. The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats believes that the U.S. has mismanaged its relationship with Moscow from the fall of communism until today, according to
Politico.
Rather than blame the state of relations entirely on Russia, U.S. policymakers should consider what Washington has done to contribute to the tensions.
Rohrabacher, who spent a few weeks with U.S.-backed Muslim fighters in Afghanistan then battling Soviet forces, is nowadays the most unswerving defender of the Russian point of view on Capitol Hill, Politico reported.
He first met Vladimir Putin about 20 years ago and has been impressed with him ever since. The Russian leader has "many flaws," but Washington "should not be trying to antagonize him."
Over the years, as Rohrabacher sees it, various administrations have helped turn Putin into an enemy.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the Kremlin believes the United States is pursuing a policy of regime change in Russia. He says lawmakers lack firsthand experience in the region, contributing to an atmosphere of "Russophobia."
Russia has spent some $60 million in the past decade on public relations and lobbying in Washington with little to show for it, Politico reported.
The
Kremlin hired the Ketchum PR agency and its various subsidiaries to help explain its position. The publicist also represent the Russian energy giant Gazprom.
Ketchum has coordinated its efforts with Dmitry Peskov, the Russian leader's spokesman.
Moscow assumed that with that kind of budget, journalists could be easily influenced.
During the August 2008 tensions between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia, Rohrabacher told the Foreign Affairs Committee that "The Russians are right. We are wrong." Ketchum, nonetheless, found it hard to sell Russia's actions, according to Politico.
Chances for better relations brightened briefly when the Obama administration announced it wanted to
"reset" U.S.- Russia relations.
Joining Rohrabacher in trying to promote relations with Moscow is Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-New York, who created the U.S.-Russia Economic Relations Caucus. Former GOP Rep. Michael Grimm, also of New York, and Meeks worked to reverse economic sanctions against Russia that were on the books from Cold War days, according to Politico.
On the ground, though, U.S.-Russia relations continued to deteriorate, especially when Putin won the presidency in 2012.
Moscow warned against an American attack on its Syrian ally President Bashar Assad.
The February 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine and takeover of the Crimean Peninsula essentially doomed efforts to improve Russia's image or explain its position to a skeptical media and public.
The congressman continued to argue that Putin is merely trying to restore his country's national pride and stability.
Rohrabacher is not the only former Reagan-era anti-communist who today feels Russia is misunderstood. Pat Buchanan is a Putin admirer ,who appreciates the Russian leader's stance on gay marriage and abortion, according to Politico.
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