Russia Insider — Wow, Hillary Clinton Really Can't Stand Vladimir Putin. It's Personal.

More than anyone else, Clinton is the author of the confrontational US approach to Russia, and the current debacle in Ukraine.

Under her watch as Secretary of State, from 2009 to 2013, the US steadily increased its anti-Russian line, and pushed for Ukraine to choose between Europe and Russia, plowing $5 billion into anti-Russian civil society groups in the Ukraine.

The disastrous previous US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, was her man in Moscow. Victoria Nuland, whom she made State Dept spokesman, was and remains one of her closest advisors on Russia. She promoted the career of US ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt, who is also very close to her. He also pushed very hard for the tragic split of the Ukraine.

Here are some choice quotes:

• "I think (Putin) is at heart, a bully ... you have to stand up, and you have to encircle, and you have to try to choke off his ability to be so aggressive.”
• "I see a very cold-blooded, calculating former KGB agent who is determined to ... enrich himself and his closest colleagues..."
• "Aside (from) his personality, ... his agenda is one that threatens American interests."

She went on to lecture Europe on how it should deal with Putin echoing US Vice President Biden's gaffe of last week:

• Some Europeans “just don’t want to confront Putin in any way,” ... “I think that’s a mistake."
• “I think there was an unwillingness on the part of the Europeans to commit to (energy independence from Russia),” ... “Each country was pretty much looking out for its own energy needs. Now, of course, they’re scrambling to figure out how to get out from under Russian intimidation..."

Russia Insider
Wow, Hillary Clinton Really Can't Stand Vladimir Putin. It's Personal.

Also John Helmer, The American Genius For Hands-Free Flying at Dances With Bears

It has generally been assumed in Washington, and no less in Moscow, that CIA Director John Brennan (lead image, front left) was one of the proponents of the Kiev putsch and the subsequent war against Russia. However, one clue that the CIA opposes the Clinton politburo has come from Senator Dianne Feinstein. Speaking as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee – and notwithstanding the conflicts she and her staff have had with Brennan – Feinstein has declared that escalating the Ukraine conflict into a war for regime change in Russia is going to fail.

“I think there ought to be direct discussions with Vladimir Putin. I think he is the singular figure in Russia. The Crimea is gone. I think there ought to be steps taken to send people, to talk with him, to have our Secretary of State talk with him personally. I think this is deeply personal with him. I really do. And he’s enjoying intensely high favourability in his country. People say, ‘Well, just wait till the sanctions bite and the economy slips.’ I don’t think so. I think if Russians follow him, and up to date, they are following him, the Russians are very brave and very long-suffering. And they will tough out any economic difficulty.”