An academic expert on Russia called the United States' decision to sell arms to Ukraine "dangerous," a "mistake," and brought about by President Donald Trump's desire to get the Russian "monkey off his back" and prove to Democratic opponents he is not a "Putin puppet."
"I think shipping these weapons are a mistake," Stephen Cohen, New York University and Princeton University professor emeritus of Russian studies, told "The Cats Roundtable" on 970 AM-N.Y. "By the way, it's clear Trump didn't want to ship 'em.
"[Former President Barack] Obama was pressed and he refused. Trump refused, but now's he's done it. This is because these allegations that somehow he's a Putin puppet, and he wants to show he isn't."
Cohen, a self-proclaimed Russia election collusion "skeptic," was referring to the reported approval of the commercial sale of lethal defense weapons to Ukraine, which has been engaged militarily against Russia.
Cohen added"there are tons and tons of weapons in Ukraine" after it was "the center of the former Soviet Union's weapons supply," and arming Russia's chief rival will do more than just serve as a threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his country. It will also potentially embolden a "desperate" regime to go to war.
"The last thing Ukraine needs to more weapons," Cohen told host John Catsimatidis
"It's a desperate government. When governments get desperate, sometimes they try to save themselves by war."
Cohen pins the blame on the "dangerous" Ukraine weapons sale "mistake" on all the charges levied against the U.S. president in varied investigations in the FBI, House, and Senate surrounding alleged Russia involvement in the 2016 president election. President Trump has now been focused to act how he might have have otherwise, according to Cohen.
"Look at what Trump is accused of every day," Cohen concluded. "Well, his nervous system is clearly cracking under these charges, and he thinks this will get this monkey off his back, but it's dangerous. It's not a good idea politically or militarily.
"Every time he talks to Putin or meets with Putin, leading newspapers and media channels say it's treasonous, so he's trapped in a very bad place."
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