In a new twist of absolutely staggering stupidity, it appears that NASA has decided to suspend all cooperation with Russia in a move to express its disapproval of the reunification of Crimea with Russia. Apparently, some delusional megalomaniac in the Administration seriously believes that Russia depends on NASA for its space program while, of course, this is very much the other way around. Just like the US needs Russia to safely get its "boys" out of Afghanistan, the US fully depends on Russia to get an astronaut into space and yet it is NATO and NASA which as suspending all cooperation with Russia and not the other way around.
I wonder what they would do if Russia decided to call their stupid bluff and really suspend all cooperation with NATO and NASA...
Mind you, Russians are hyper-realists and not easily offended. As long as they don't care - and they don't - they won't take any harsh measures and let the crazies in the White House huff and puff about how they are "isolating Russia". From the point of view of the Kremlin, the more the US adopts absolutely ridiculous and outright idiotic "sanctions", the clearer it is that nothing truly dangerous will happen.
Though, who knows, in despair the Obama Administration might take a truly dramatic decision.
Close the McDonald's on Pushkin square perhaps?
The Saker