TRUMP TO PUTIN – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  The fine analyst Benny Avni examines Trump's latest move against Russia, and finds it good.  From the New York Post: 

Monday’s coordinated Euro-American action against Russia may signal the end of an era: Goodbye, empty UN blather, hello again, coalitions of the willing.

And welcome to John Bolton, President Trump’s soon-to-be national security adviser. Caricatures of his “unilateralism” aside, Bolton is a big proponent of coordinated action among allies, like this week’s bright display of solidarity with Britain.

Trump announced the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats Monday and closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle on suspicion of espionage activities there. It was the most significant diplomatic retaliation to date for Russia’s chemical attack in Britain and the assassination attempt on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

America wasn’t alone — 21 countries, including France and Germany, as well as former Soviet satellites Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, expelled a handful of Russian diplomats each on Monday. All told, more than 100 Russian diplomats were told to leave world capitals in one day.

True, Vladimir Putin is riding a nationalist wave after “winning” a sham election that extended the term of his seemingly endless presidency, and his name is invoked in the elections of his Western democratic counterparts, so it may not force a change of his ways.

But it’ll get Putin’s attention.

And...

Contrary to his detractors, Bolton is no stranger to multilateralism. In 2003, while at the White House, he created the Proliferation Security Initiative, a coalition of like-minded countries determined to end the transfer of chemical, biological and atomic weapons to and from rogue regimes.

Initially, 10 allies joined America in the initiative, which authorized seizing shipments of WMDs and dual-use items on the high seas. Now 105 countries are PSI members. They can intercept malicious deliveries without authorization from the UN Security Council, where such actions necessitate agreement from all permanent members.

COMMENT:  And yes, welcome John Bolton.

March 27,  2018