Many times has Russia been down, but never out.

Peace with Russia, as in Soviet times, has always been unpalatable but necessary.

It’s worth noting here that the “anachronistic” system the Founding Fathers crafted in the eighteenth century—based on the will and procedures of semi-sovereign states—serves as an extra layer of protection against twenty-first-century threats.

When it comes to democracy promotion, it seems the Obama-Trump era is the aberration.

Like it or not, the land of the free and the home of the brave has found itself smack dab in the middle of another Cold War with Russia. This time, the Russians have hit our shores with something we thought we had invented: social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

While Trump’s bluster and temperament seem ill-suited to the subtleties of diplomacy he is surely not the cause of our current predicament.

They agreed. At least on the single issue of foreign trade, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton agreed the United States must retreat from free trade agreements. In the midst of the most polarized presidential election in living memory, both major party candidates converged on the need to reconsider American-led globalization and take a more protectionist stand in foreign markets.

In light of its actions in 2016, there should be no question as to whether Vladimir Putin’s Russia is or can be a friend.

As we assess Trump’s early foreign policy moves and first international tour, it helps to look back upon Obama’s. Here, then, are passages from A Perilous Path.