Is President Putin a Friend or Foe?

Question

I can not understand why Putin is not supporting the Coalition Forces that are in Afghanistan.
His Troops failed miserably to defeat the Taliban,and pulled out,but now our Troops are there surely you would have thought he would have offered some support after all we helped them in a big way in the second world war.
Russia used to be a Superpower,so has their fuse fizzled out?

Answer 1

Putin can't help America. He is to busy arming our enemies such as his 300 million dollar weapons deal just completed with IRAN.
Russia has armored and backed every enemy America has faced, starting with the Korean conflict.
It was proved that Russian pilots flew against the U.S. during that little war.
Viet Cong fighters were armored by Russia. The radar SAM missile sites that shot down hundreds of our pilots were supplied by Russia and the crews trained by Russians.
Viet Nam could have been over and thousands of American lives could have been saved if our government in Washington would have let us bomb down town Hanoi. All of the Viet Congs supplies missiles, ammo equipment and so on was stacked up all over the town.
But Washington was afraid if they attacked Hanoi the Russians would get mad and possibly enter the war.
So probably 10 to 20,000 American fighting men died so we didn't make Russia angry.
Had we been given permission to bomb Hanoi, the war would have ended in 68 or 69.
Sorry got carried away. But then I was there and know the truth.
When they did finally bomb Hanoi the Viet Cong signed the Paris peace accord. We only bombed Hanoi 14 days and the war ended.
No Russia is no with America they are helping Iran with their nuclear ambitions.
Do you think Russia is with us?

Answer 2

Interesting question, and it depends on which side of the debate you are on.

If you support the wars we are currently involved in, then Putin is definitely a friend. By supporting America and NATO, it gives him a completely free hand in dealing with insurgency in Chechnya and the surrounding regions.
He is not going to offer any aid to NATO in Afghanistan. The Russian population suffered greatly in the 1980s because of that war and after all, it was the west who trained the Taliban in the first place. I suspect many Russians see the current situation as poetic justice.

If, on the other hand, you take the human rights and other democratic values that the West espouses seriously (which I do), then Putin is not a good guy. His background is KGB, under his rulership the press in Russia has been systematically suppressed, often by violence and murder, and there is no effective opposition, that having been suppressed as well. Unfortunately that seems to sit easy with many western governments nowadays.

Answer 3

A Dodgy Opportunist-- Playing both ends against the middle

Answer 4

20 million Russians died and 3 years of waiting for a 2nd front in Europe, i think a few tanks, planes and food was a bargain for the west, also who armed the Taliban.

Answer 5

"you would have thought he would have offered some support after all we helped them in a big way in the second world war."

yeah, maybe your perspective is skewed there. And maybe russia has enough internal issues to keep them occupied.

And what the **** are you doing in Afghanistan anyway?

Answer 6

Foe in a friends clothes.

Answer 7

Definitely a foe.

Answer 8

Don't trust him............... he is still one of the old crowd and deep down he still doesn't like the west. One day his true colours will come to the fore and then we will realise that he has been using us for his own ends.

Answer 9

I am not interested in politics. Office or world, I do not get myself involved.

Answer 10

i have no simpathy for the man,but he's certainly much less dangerous to mankind than bush! less stupid and arrogant and ignorant as well.....