General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Should the downing of this airliner have any long term effect on our relationship with Russia? [View all]BillZBubb
(10,650 posts)Sure the US doesn't have the moral authority to attack anyone else for downing a civilian plane given the shoot down of the Iranian plane. But the Malaysian plane was just one in a long line of Putin's treachery.
I would bet Putin had no intention for this shoot down to occur. But that doesn't absolve him. He has acted very recklessly with respect to the whole Ukraine situation. He has annexed that country's territory. He has armed and promoted paramilitary activity in Ukraine. Putin is responsible for supplying the pro-Russian forces in Ukraine with weapons they should not have--in particular long range surface to air missiles. The chance for a tragedy like this to occur was too high for any sensible leader to provide those kinds of weapons to insurgents.
Putin is a dangerous, reckless man and not to be trusted. He should be viewed as an adversary and treated as such. This is not a call to "hostility" just a more hard line when dealing with Russia today.