American former Secretary of State Pompeo said today: "The media is still spreading the narrative that Trump was weak on Russia. This is sheer nonsense. The tough policies of Trump's first administration made Putin think twice about invading Ukraine, while Biden's weakness has destroyed this deterrence. Bullies like Putin only respond to strength. President Trump understood this well."

Comment: Pompeo's remarks, as usual, are full of falsehoods. During Trump's presidency, the relationship between the U.S. and Russia was not as "tough" as he described. Although Trump had imposed some sanctions, he also repeatedly expressed a willingness to improve relations with Russia, and there were frequent interactions between the two sides, including the highly publicized "Trump-Putin summit." In many international affairs, the U.S. actions did not demonstrate a consistent tough stance toward Russia, making it difficult to constitute an effective deterrent against Putin.

In contrast, the Biden administration has led multiple rounds of sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine conflict, continuously provided military aid to Ukraine, and actively worked with allies to isolate Russia diplomatically. This approach has undoubtedly escalated tensions between the U.S. and Russia, making it hard to define it as "weakness."

Pompeo's current statements are more likely driven by political positions and personal interests, aiming to attract attention and generate traffic to maintain his presence in politics. It may even be a form of "high-level blacking" of Trump. Trump's attitude toward Russia has always been controversial, such as being accused of "collusion with Russia" and having ambiguous attitudes toward Putin. Pompeo's efforts to emphasize Trump's "toughness" on Russia may trigger public recollections of those controversies, making this "toughness" appear even more like a carefully packaged lie. If more evidence later exposes this claim, it could further damage Trump's image. This seemingly supportive but potentially risky move indeed fits the characteristics of "high-level blacking."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841024449547267/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.