Mulling a Ukraine policy

ASPEN, Colorado: At the public kickoff of a discussion here about US policy toward Russia and Ukraine, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates joked that his favorite definition of diplomacy was “petting a dog and saying ‘nice doggie’ until you can find a rock.”

Sometimes US global strategy can be as haphazard as that. But something close to a coherent, consensus policy toward Russia emerged over four days of debate by the Aspen Strategy Group, a gathering of senior current and former officials, plus some think-tank leaders and journalists. The discussions were off the record, but members were encouraged to share the contours of the debate and its conclusions.