The Untouchable Putin and the MIA Obama

Vladimir Putin

When President George W. Bush praised Vladimir Putin as an honest man, Senator John McCain replied that every time he sees Putin he sees KGB. For American leader who never suffered in the hands of brutal dictators sponsored by the Soviet Union, Putin is an honest man and someone the West can work with on matters of peace. But to those who suffered the treatment of Communist Vietnam, such as McCain, this man is nothing but a terrorist spy who killed his opponents to make a statement, and recently invaded a sovereign nation in clear violation and disregard of international laws.
Putin was the head of Russia's spy agency - KGB, a gang of thugs responsible for so many death Western intelligent officers (spies), especially American agents. His rise to power is filled with so many controversies including the silencing of Marina Litvinenko, a former KGB officer who escaped to England where he publicly blamed Putin for the bomb blasts in Russia which Putin blamed Chechen terrorists.

Marina Litvinenko

Litvinenko defected to England and lived there where he continued to blast Putin of gross corruption and terrorist activities and murder of businessmen and ordinary citizens in his quest to gain Russians' confidence.
Litvindeko didn't live long as he was died of a mysterious exposure to a highly deadly chemical. He died believing he was silenced by Putin for speaking out against his terrorist activities he essentially blamed outsiders.
Senator McCain was actually right about Putin's ambitions and hidden motives. As a former head of the Soviet Union, Putin bemoaned the destruction of Communism and worked his way up to where he is today. His policies and tight grip on Russia made some speculated that he is trying to turn Russia back to its once great global status. In his sort term as president and prime minister, Putin had built Russia into a strong economic power and is working tirelessly to revitalize Russian military power. He sees the West as an opponent that he can deal with and threaten at will. For instance, Putin's response to USA and Poland missile defense system which was to erect in Poland, was rather reminiscent of past Soviet dictators. Het issued a serious threat to Poland, even as far as threatening nuclear attack  on the West.
Two events that demonstrated just how ambitious and radical Putin is, almost Stalin like in his approach toward Russia's neighboring countries. On August 2008, Russia invaded Georgia in the name of "ethnic Russians" living in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, in an apparent violation of George's sovereignty. NATO and  the USA sat back and watched, merely condemning while Putin continued his invasion. He had tested the strength of NATO and realized that nobody can stop him.

NATO is a Northern Atlantic organization created in during the Cold War in response to the Soviet Warsaw PACT, and remained active in defending Western Europe to this day, but it is a worthless, powerless country without the US. In the last five years, however, the Obama administration's foreign policy had greatly diminished its active role in the NATO combat readiness. It cannot go alone without the US.
In his first attempt to change American foreign policy, Obama instructed Clinton to present a "reset button" to the Russian foreign minister; in other words, the Obama is only interested in forging a good relationship with Russia. But that's not what Putin wanted. He now knows Obama is not committed to challenging Russia in any international battle ground including Syria and Georgia, now Ukraine. In Syria, the US condemned the killing  of innocent Christians and Syrians while Putin continues to supply Assad weapons and other resources to crash the popular anti-Syrian government insurrection. Obama's first announced that a "chemical attack" would be the red-line for the US to interfere, still innocent people are murdered everyday by both sides, including the use of chemical weapons, yet Obama refused to act. Instead, he argued that he didn't really meant to interfere or to fund the operation against Assad. This show of weakness only empowering Putin.
It is a fact that Ukraine is a vital strategic location for the Putin's administration and will go the extra mile to keep some political and military influence in Ukraine. The embattled Ukraine had been under the leadership of Russia's puppets, past and present until citizens had enough. The pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovych lost its people's confidence and many took to the street. Instead of addressing the needs of the people, Yanukovych reacted as would Putin if Russians took to the street the same way. Severe crackdown on protesters resulted in the deaths of hundreds of protesters. He was deposed as president but the battle is far from over. The Putin's government is not afraid of the West, and all that the NATO leaders could do is condemning the deadly crackdown on protesters and look to Obama. The latest development demonstrated one reality - the government of Russia is not ready to give Ukraine to the West.
The UK Guardian reported that pro-Russian armed men took over the Crimean parliament and ready to defend it with heavy arms. This happens hours after new that the Russian government had put to test Russian military "combat readiness".
Whatever the result maybe, one thing is clear here - the Obama administration is not interested at all in the conflict and may chose to lead from behind once again. As Obama came forward and condemned the severe crackdown of protesters in Ukraine, he had shown in multiple occasions just how passive and incompetent he is in dealing with foreign countries, especially one that is not easily tossed aside.
The battle for Crimea may result in the destabilization of world powers and the return of old-foes to abandoned confrontational tactics where proxy fighters were paid for fight wars the two super-powers refused to fight.
If not challenged, Putin will continue invading neighboring countries he see as vital strategic locations to the new Russian empire. This was the same tactic Hitler used against its neighbors prior to World War II.