Putin's mother?
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Putin's challenge to the West. "Mr. Putin's challenge comes at a most unpropitious time for the West. Europe faces a weak economic recovery and significant economic ties with Russia. The U.S. is emerging from more than a dozen years at war and leaders in both parties face growing isolationism among voters, with the prospect of another major challenge abroad cutting across the current political grain. Crimea and Ukraine are far away, and their importance to Europe and America little understood by the public. Therefore, the burden of explaining the need to act forcefully falls, as always, on our leaders. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, 'Government includes the act of formulating a policy' and 'persuading, leading, sacrificing, teaching always, because the greatest duty of a statesman is to educate.' The aggressive, arrogant actions of Vladimir Putin require from Western leaders strategic thinking, bold leadership and steely resolve -- now."
Robert M. Gates in The Wall Street Journal.
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