Positive flip-flop on Russia

Newsday: The U.S. relationship with Russia is in a deep Siberian freeze. After President Donald Trump’s inexplicable affection for Vladimir Putin, Wednesday’s turnabout and surprising embrace of long-standing U.S. foreign policy positions is encouraging.

“We may be at an all-time low,” Trump said of the relationship, echoing the words of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who had earlier met with Putin in Moscow. Tillerson and the Russian foreign minister held a tense and hostile news conference about Syria that didn’t even bother with the usual facade of diplomacy.

Russia is refusing to work with the United States to remove Bashar Assad from power, not even acknowledging that the dictator used poison gas to kill his own people last week. Tillerson repeated the U.S. position that Russia was complicit in the horrific attack.

This administration revels in mixed messages, and the latest policies might get upended in a month. But Trump may be shedding his isolationist views and finally adopting a more centrist foreign policy that embraces American leadership in the world.