Bruce Jones - Mentions and Appearances
Why are the Americans getting so outplayed? China exerts its influence not by funding the secretariat but because it is a major development partner with a majority of countries in Asia and Africa and Latin America. They all recognize there is a bilateral cost if they oppose China.
Ironically, the precise strength of the U.S. energy sector—that it is driven by the market and not by a government—also means that it is not a stick to beat people with.
Obama hasn't made it clear he's willing to escalate if Putin does; that lack of certainty Putin can exploit. If he's not certain we will escalate, for him the risk of escalating is less.
The old days when the U.S. and the Europeans could stitch things up at the United Nations are over.
[President Obama] is demonstrating that core American security objectives can be pursued through the UN.