Dear Editor,

I find Morell and Farkas’ judgement that Russia is testing Trump to be too lenient. I agree Putin has tested the boundaries of what the Trump administration will accept in the last few months. Russia is indeed taking advantage of what the authors call his “infatuation” with the Russian leader. It has been clear for a long time that President Putin’s end goal is to have uncontested political control of his surrounding countries as well as to become a main player on the global political stage as one of the great powers.

The article, however, barely mentions the continuously unraveling scandal of Russian hackers and their involvement in the 2016 Presidential Election. This may have less to do with Russia’s support of the Syrian dictator, or their push for control in eastern Ukraine, and more to do with the relationship between the two leaders – the power dynamic that was created when President Putin favored the election of Donald Trump.

Which brings me to my point: Russia is not simply testing Trump and his administration by pushing the limits of what is acceptable, they are taking advantage of a puppet.

The article discusses the lack of action on the part of the US government in the face of Russian expansionism. The authors mention strong wording from multiple members of the Trump administration condemning Russia’s actions that never spark any real movement to stop it.

Trump owes Putin. He owes him his post as commander in chief. Putin has come to collect on that debt.

Julia Tazartes

Wellesley, MA

April 11th, 2017