Robert Gates: “The enormous potential in developing new joint warfighting capabilities--think of naval forces in airfield defense, or…”

I think it doesn't make strategic sense.

I think the president is — based on what I read — is getting the sense that, as he put it, that Putin is 'tapping' him along.

He wants Ukraine, basically, to be a client state of Russia.

Putin feels that he has a destiny to recreate the Russian Empire.