Is the “Cold War” Resuming?

It seems so.  Last week, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders declined to term Russia as "friend or foe".  The reluctance to label it seemed odd in light of recent provocations by the Kremlin.

Perhaps the White House, reflecting the President’s desire to work with Vladimir Putin, did not wish to respond with the truth:  Russia is a foe evolving into an enemy (again).

The conclusion is inescapable when one notes Russian activities of recent times –

         -      Poisoning of an ex-Russian spy living in England

         -       Attacking U.S. Forces in Syria

-      Buzzing American planes flying in international airspace

-      Invasion of eastern Ukraine

-      Etc.

What should the U.S. do?  The first version of the Cold War lasted from post WWII to the early 1990s when the military deterrence of U.S. and NATO forces finally wore down the Soviet Union’s ability to “keep-up” and resulted in its disintegration.

Will the same prescription work for the apparent second “go-around”?

Thus far, the extent of the American response has been limited to strong worlds (Nikki Haley, our U.N. Ambassador, in particular) and financial sanctions focused on Putin’s inner circle.

Will that be enough to deter future aggression?   Unlikely.

The U.S. Defense Budget tightened during the Obama Administration due to Congressionally-imposed sequestration policies (a military spending increase was controlled by requirements that it not exceed domestic expenditure hikes) as well as the general antipathy of Democrats toward the military.

That approach is no longer in favor, of course.  So the obvious hostility of Russia (and more foreboding, from a long-term perspective, China) mandates a significant increase in defense spending to return the U.S. to an appropriate “Cold War” footing. 

Reality leaves America no choice.