Mitt Romney explains how he would have kept Russia from messing with Ukraine


Failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney took a victory lap Sunday on Face the Nation, telling host Bob Schieffer that President Obama's "naiveté" and "faulty judgment" on Russia precipitated the situation in Ukraine. And Romney — whom Obama mocked in a presidential debate for suggesting that Russia is America's top "geopolitical foe" — explained how, had he been elected, he would have threatened Moscow so much it wouldn't have dared to mess with another country.
"Unfortunately, not having anticipated Russia's intentions, the president wasn't able to shape the kinds of events that may have been able to prevent the kinds of circumstances that you're seeing in the Ukraine, as well as the things that you're seeing in Syria," he said.
"This is not Fantasyland, this is reality where they are a geopolitical adversary," he added.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
So what would Romney have done differently? More and earlier sanctions, accompanied by threats of other unspecified "things."
Had we, from the very beginning of the demonstrations in Ukraine, had we worked with our allies and said, "Look, let's talk about the kinds of severe sanctions we would put in place if Russia were to decide to move," and had we then communicated that to Russia beforehand, not put in place the sanctions but communicate, "Look, Russia, stand down here. Don't you think about grabbing territory or these are the things that will have to happen. These are the actions we will take." [Face the Nation]
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
The best film reboots of all-time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material
-
'More must be done'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Are masked ICE agents America's new secret police?
Today's Big Question Critics say masks undermine trust in law enforcement
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders