Richard Miniter: "The Obama Administration is too busy trying to appease the Russian bear to see an opportunity to tame it"

Richard Miniter is spot on in his Forbes column:

The only way to transform Russia from a would-be regional threat to a normal country would be to take away its extraordinary powers over Europe. European energy independence, missile shield and a robust NATO would trim Russia’s claws and change its behavior.
Unfortunately, the Obama Administration can’t see the tremendous historic opportunity that lies at its feet.
Putin’s slow-motion invasion of Ukraine is exactly the catalyst needed to wean Europe from energy dependence on Russia, forge opinion for missile defense and modernize NATO. Without Putin’s aggression, no American president could ever get the Europeans to act collectively and rapidly.

Yet the Obama Administration is too busy trying to appease the Russian bear to see an opportunity to tame it.
A proven missile defense for Poland is a vital first step. Let’s hope the Obama Administration comes to realize what the Poles already know.