By expelling Russian diplomats and making the Kremlin close its Seattle consulate, Donald Trump made the right choice and acted in line with Washington's European allies. But this was a forced outlier, not the norm.
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Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Ngan
On Monday, US President Donald Trump did one thing that was extraordinary — in two essential ways.
Trump ordered the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats, forcing Moscow to close its consulate in Seattle. The move came in response to the Kremlin's reported poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain.
Why was this extraordinary? Firstly, he acted in unison with America's traditional European allies like Germany, France, Poland and many others, who also announced expulsions of Russian diplomats on Monday to show solidarity with Britain. Secondly, by punishing Russia, Trump took a tough stance against the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Punishing Russia is also highly unusual for a president deeply embroiled in a special counsel investigation into his campaign's reported ties with that very country. It is also unusual because Trump just recently — and against the explicit advice of his now-ousted national security adviser — personally called Putin to congratulate him on his election victory.
What makes Monday's move so interesting is that it goes so clearly against Trump's own instincts and long-established behavior. Being friendly towards the Kremlin and Putin personally, whom Trump has repeatedly complimented as a great leader, has been a signature feature of his campaign and his presidency.
As a candidate he made repeated overtures for improving ties with Russia. As president he resisted Congressional efforts to slap serious sanctions on Russia; he denounced as "fake news" the conclusion of his own intelligence services that Moscow interfered during the US election. He fired high-level officials — including former FBI chief James Comey, who was in charge of the election meddling, and constantly undermines and attacks Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his investigation.
So what made Trump act now?
Some may argue that the nefarious poisoning in Britain may have prompted Trump to finally see the light and reevaluate his accommodating stance towards Russia. Unfortunately, there is little indication of that. Only last week Trump overruled his advisers to congratulate Putin on winning what was widely seen as a neither fair nor free election.
No change of heart
What's more, the official White House press communique on the expulsions is very carefully worded. Not only does the closing sentence again reaffirm Trump's long-held wish "to cooperate to build a better relationship with Russia," but Trump is mentioned by name only once.
No quote from the president himself is provided, and Putin is not mentioned by name either. For a president who usually relishes every opportunity to tell the world in his own unique style of his accomplishments, his reluctance to do so in this case is telling.
It is therefore not reasonable to assume that Trump suddenly had a change of heart on his view of Russia and of the trans-Atlantic alliance. It is far more likely that something else forced the president's hand on this: concerted, continued domestic and international pressure.
Lawmakers in Congress, Washington's European allies, and NATO — as well as administration officials — were all on the same page advocating that the US could simply not afford to stand idly by. Instead, this issue required a show of solidarity with the UK and its European partners.
They were right. It would have been unthinkable for the US to not act in unison with Europe in punishing Russia for this aggressive act on British soil. Yet if there is one thing we have learned by now during Trump's tenure, it is that this president has shown repeatedly that he is very capable of doing things previously considered unthinkable. And that's all the more reason to be glad he did not do so this time.
Russian spy poisoning: How it unfolded
The poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal has caused a standoff between Russia and the UK. Russia has denied knowledge of the poisoning but that hasn't stopped other countries taking action.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/G. Caddick
Ex-Russian spy poisoned
On March 4, former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter were found slumped on a bench outside a shopping center in the British town of Salisbury. Authorities said both were in a critical condition after being exposed to an "unknown substance." Skripal was a former general of Russian military intelligence who had been convicted in Russia for spying for the UK.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tass
Russia denies involvement
Russia denied any knowledge of the poisoning, which echoed the murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. Litvinenko was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210. "We see that such a tragic situation happened," Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on March 6. "But we don't have information about what could be the cause, what this person did."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/TASS/M. Metzel
Nerve agent suspected
On March 7, British police said they suspected a very rare nerve agent was behind the poisoning of Skripal. "This is being treated as a major incident involving attempted murder by administration of a nerve agent," Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley said in a statement. "I can also confirm that we believe the two people originally who became unwell were targeted specifically."
British police said more than 21 people had sought medical treatment as a result of the nerve agent attack. On March 8, UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd told the House of Commons that enormous resources were being used to determine who was behind the attack. Rudd called the use of a chemical nerve agent on British soil a "brazen and reckless" act that would be answered with all possible force.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/A. Matthews
May gives Russia a deadline
On March 12, British Prime Minister Theresa May told lawmakers it was "highly likely" Russia was behind the poisoning. May said the Russian government had either ordered the attack or lost control of the Russian-produced chemical nerve agent Novichok. She gave Moscow until midnight on Tuesday to explain its Novichok program to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/empics/PA Wire
EU supports UK
On March 13, vice president of the European Commission European Union, Valdis Dombrovskis, said the EU would stand in solidarity with Britain after London accused Russia of being behind the nerve agent attack. When asked if the EU might impose sanctions of Russia if it was agreed Moscow was responsible for the attack, Dombrovskis said: "Of course, the UK can count on EU solidarity in this regard."
Image: picture-alliance/empics/Y. Mok
Russia calls UK bluff
Russia failed to respond to May’s midnight deadline for an explanation of its suspected involvement in the poisoning. On March 14, a spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in London said Moscow would not respond "until it receives samples of the chemical substance." May had said a "full range" of retaliatory measures would be considered if Moscow did not give a "credible response" by the deadline.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Augstein
UK announces expulsions of diplomats
After Russia failed to give an explanation, May announced on March 14 that the UK would expel 23 Russian diplomats identified as "undeclared intelligence officers." May also said the UK would suspend all high-level bilateral contact with Russia. The biggest expulsions from London in 30 years would "fundamentally degrade Russian intelligence capability for years to come," May said.
Image: picture alliance/TASS/dpa/I. Dmitryachev
France, Germany, UK, US blame Russia
On March 15, the leaders of France, Germany, the UK and US released a joint statement that demanded "complete disclosure" from Russia saying there is "no plausible alternative" to Moscow's involvement. The statement said the attack using "a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia" constituted "an assault on UK sovereignty" that threatened "the security of us all."
Image: picture alliance/NurPhoto/A. Pezzali
Russia expels British diplomats
In retaliation to the UK, Russia said it would also expel 23 British diplomats, giving them the same one-week deadline. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it would also close the British Council in Russia, and might take further measures against Britain in the event of more "hostile steps" from London. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, had said Moscow would "of course" respond with expulsions.
"It's complete drivel, rubbish, nonsense that somebody in Russia would allow themselves to do such a thing ahead of elections and the World Cup," Putin said on March 19. "It's quite obvious that if it were a military-grade nerve agent, people would have died on the spot." Putin said Moscow "destroyed all our chemical weapons under international oversight unlike some of our partners."
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Klimentyev
UK says Novichok was used
On March 20, UK scientists determined Skripal was poisoned using a little-known nerve agent from a group of chemical compounds known as Novichok. The family of compounds, which were developed in the 1970s and 80s, comprise numerous nerve agents. The Soviets once developed these weapons to circumvent the Chemical Weapons Convention. Novichok-5 and Novichok-7 are supposed to be the most dangerous.
Image: Getty Images/C.J. Ratcliffe
Mass Russian diplomat expulsions
A number of EU countries teamed together on March 26 and simultaneously announced they would be expelling Russian diplomats. Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Latvia and Ukraine all announced they would be expelling Russian envoys. The US followed suit with the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and announced the closure of Moscow's consulate in Seattle.
Image: Reuters/G. Garanich
Poison on front door
UK police found the highest concentration of the nerve agent on the front door of the Skripal's family home in Salisbury. They believe that is where Skripal and his daughter must have first come into contact with the poison. It was likely mixed in with a "gloopy substance" smeared on the door handle.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/F. Augstein
New Novichok victims
In early July, weeks after both Skripals were discharged from the Salisbury hospital, another two people were apparently poisoned with the same substance in the nearby town of Amesbury. A 45-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman were found unconscious and were transported to the same hospital in critical condition.
