Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Michael McFaul Profile picture
@McFaul
Feb 15, 2022 • 5 tweets • 1 min read • Read on X
We are all looking for signs of Putin pivoting towards negotiations, not war, because we all want to avoid war. But we should be careful about cherry-picking the tea leaves. 1/ THREAD
He told Lavrov to pursue negotiations, yes. That's good news. 2/
But Putin also called Donbas a genocide. How can Putin stand by and watch a genocide of ethnic Russians (his frame not mine)? That quip from Putin scared me. 3/
The Duma passed a (non-binding) resolution calling for Russia to recognize Ukrainian regions as independent states. That's de facto a declaration of war since Putin-backed rebels don't control all of these territories. 4/
So there are new tea leaves pointing in opposite directions. 5/ END THREAD

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Michael McFaul

Michael McFaul Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @McFaul

Michael McFaul Profile picture
Dec 8
I'm watching with elation the fall of Assad and his barbaric regime.

But also remembering in sorrow the many Syrians who needlessly lost their lives over the last decade because Putin, Iran, and Hezbollah propped up these killers, and we failed to stop them. 1/ THREAD
In my last book, From Cold War to Hot Peace, the longest chapter is called "Chasing Russians, Failing Syrians." In that chapter, I documented how we in the West tried but failed to get Putin to work with us to bring an end to the Syrian civil war. /2
We tried. On numerous occasions Obama tried to convince Putin to work us on a deal. (Most memorable was their meeting in Los Cabos in 2012 which was mostly about Syria.) Clinton & Kerry did the same with Lavrov. Others did too. 3/
Read 9 tweets
Michael McFaul Profile picture
Nov 17
Many compare Trump to Putin. I have, too. But the moment right now feels more like the Yeltsin era, when Russia's oligarchs took advantage of an older & somewhat incapacitated leader to privatize the state for their own interests. I wrote about this at length in the 1990s. THREAD 1/
See for instance, McFaul, “Russia's ‘Privatized’ State as an Impediment to Democratic Consolidation,” Part I, Security Dialogue, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Spring 1998), pp. 25-33. 2/
and McFaul, “Russia's ‘Privatized’ State as an Impediment to Democratic Consolidation,” Part II, Security Dialogue, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Summer 1998), pp. 219-236. 3/
Read 5 tweets
Michael McFaul Profile picture
Nov 7
I hope future members of Trump's national security team are students of John Mearsheimer, especially when dealing with Putin. THREAD 1/
In his classic The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, Professor Mearsheimer wrote (p. 164),
"appeasement contradicts the dictates of offensive realism and, therefore, is a fanciful and dangerous strategy." 2/
"It is unlikely to transform a dangerous force into a kinder, gentler opponent, much less a peace-loving state." 3/
Read 5 tweets
Michael McFaul Profile picture
Oct 28
"A second Trump presidency will usher in a new chaotic, uncertain, and violent era, both at home and abroad. Some believe that’s ok, that we need an era of disruption to radically undermine the status quo at home and abroad. I don’t." 1/ THREAD
"As an academic, I have studied revolutions for over four decades. Some generate better outcomes for societies that live through them. Most do not. Instead, they produce sharp economic downturns, civil wars, dictatorships, and interstate conflicts." 2/
"America needs peaceful reform, not violent revolution. Our economy, the envy of the world, needs some reforms, not massive disruption. Our democracy needs gradual improvements, not a chaotic breakdown." 3/
Read 4 tweets
Michael McFaul Profile picture
Oct 25
"In the upcoming U.S. presidential election, there are legitimate policy differences between Vice President Kamala Harris and Mr. Donald Trump, over which reasonable people will debate and disagree." THREAD 1/
"For instance, the two candidates have different views on taxation. I can understand why affluent voters might support Trump over Harris. That’s rational, even if I disagree with them." 2/
"I can also understand why tech entrepreneurs might think that Trump will be better for them regarding regulation, even if I think they’re wrong, because I may value competition more than they do. But that’s an honest policy disagreement." 3/
Read 8 tweets
Michael McFaul Profile picture
Oct 3
"Former President Trump ... blamed the United States for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and called Zelenskyy “the greatest salesman in history” because “every time he comes to the country, he walks away with 100 billion.” THREAD 1/
"While Trump rightly talked about the tremendous loss of life and property in Ukraine as a result of war, he never once blamed Putin for such killing and destruction." 2/
"That has been a consistent pattern for Trump for almost a decade now. He doesn’t criticize Putin and instead admires his strength and justifies his barbaric actions. " 3/
Read 4 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

Send Email!

:(