In an interview with with CBS News anchor Scott Pelley in Rome today, President Obama called on Russian President Vladimir Putin “to move back those troops” from the Ukrainian border and engage in negotiations with the Ukrainian government. 

Putin hasn’t formally responded, but I’m sure it will be something to the effect of “yeah, you and what army?” After all, Obama has already ruled out a “military excursion” where it concerns Crimea. If Obama is unwilling to use force to back up his words, then they will have no meaning to Putin nor to anyone else be they friend or foe.

Obama told Pelley, “What I have repeatedly said is that he may be entirely misreading the West. He’s certainly misreading American foreign policy. We have no interest in encircling Russia and we have no interest in Ukraine beyond letting the Ukrainian people make their own decisions about their own lives.”

Oh, Putin isn’t misreading the West nor is he misreading Obama. Putin knows that Obama nothing more than a paper tiger. The only person who is misreading the situation is Obama who is under the delusion that Russia is isolated and acting out of weakness. Consequently, the only person who is isolated and acting out of weakness is Obama.