THREAD. I served in Army Intelligence as a Russian Intercept Operator & I am not an expert, but I have above average insight into one particular topic. I’d like to make something abundantly clear. Russia is not not now, nor has it ever been, our friend. 1/9

Culturally, we have far less in common than we like to think we do. Russia has been controlled by monarchs, autarchs and oligarchs its entire existence. Its people have had to adapt, struggle & survive under totalitarian and authoritarian regimes their entire lives. 2/9

This does not mean I dislike Russian culture or have any animosity towards Russian people. Understanding how different Russian culture is from US culture is crucial to realizing how different our perspectives are & to how our governments’ interests are diametrically opposed. 3/9

It can also help with understanding Putin is not & does not want to be a US ally. We can make mutually beneficial agreements, but we cannot & should not ever trust him or allow Trump to be his best buddy. A brief look into his background shows that his Soviet roots run deep. 4/9

Vladimir Putin is ambitious & after college, he served in the Soviet KGB as a counter-intelligence officer for 16 years until it was dissolved in 1991. He then worked his way up in politics and has served as either Prime Minister or President since 1999. That’s 20 years. 5/9

To get a more insightful synopsis into Putin’s reign and animosity toward the US, this article by Foreign Service Officer and Ambassador to Russia, Bill Burns, is a very good place to start:

https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/03/08/how-u.s.-russian-relationship-went-bad-pub-78543 6/9

Trump’s affinity for Putin & favoritism toward Russia is, & I cannot state this strongly enough, toxic to US interests & dangerous to our allies. Ukraine is integral to keeping Russian aggression in check & Trump’s self-serving coercion of Zelensky puts us all in harm’s way. 7/9

The GOP’s sycophantic dedication to Trump is abhorrent. That they would choose to save their own political careers by grandstanding for a narcissistic sociopath who is flagrantly flaunting our laws & morals & causing damage so great should infuriate every US citizen. 8/9

The fact that we trust our leaders & that so many people believe in the snake oil being pedaled should be a wake up call. We need to make sure that these leaders are held accountable. We also need to do our best to be patient with people who have been shamefully misled. 9/9 END.