It took thirteen years, support for Iran and Syria, an invasion of Georgia, opposition to Kosovo independence, the Orange Revolution, interference in Belarus and Ukraine’s internal politics and finally the invasion of Crimea but it appears the Bush/Obama/Rice appeasement of Vladimir Putin’s Russia is finally coming to an end.

President Obama has sent the strongest possible signals in the last 24 hours that he will not allow Russia to break international protocols and international law. He has wisely not taken the appeasers route on this which is to ask the impotent United Nations for help, or to simply condemn Russia’s actions as he did initially after the Russian incursion into the Crimean Peninsula.- he has strongly indicated all options are on the table, and that Russia could end up being internationally humiliated and isolated.  This came after several days of bumbling and stumbling for a response, reminiscent of some of the other foreign policy blunders during Obama’s Presidency.

Secretary of State John Kerry has called Vladimir Putin’s bluffs in the strongest possible way on Crimea. This stands in direct contrast to last fall when I wrote the following about the administration’s mishandling of the Syria situation and giving Putin an international victory.

I have to admit now that I am beginning to hedge on Syria given the very open involvement of Putin and Russia. While two weeks ago (when I opposed the potential intervention) I was very much aware of Moscow’s interest in the situation and concerned that not intervening might give them a victory, I did not anticipate things going in this direction where the President was unable to rally our western allies and Congress while Putin stepped into the void of global leadership ceded by the inept public handling of this matter by the President. I have long considered Putin to be our biggest enemy, and our biggest national security threat. Mitt Romney’s warnings about Putin were the only thing in his campaign last summer I found compelling about his candidacy, but the rest of his foreign policy was dangerous.

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My belief is that the United States even if acting alone must take the strongest possible action. Our closest ally the United Kingdom currently is suffering from a leadership crisis. British Prime Minister David Cameron is a likable yet highly ineffectual Conservative/Tory who heads a weak coalition government. The chief opposition party Labour (who was in power for 13 years with large Parliamentary majorities until 2010) has its weakest leadership since the early 1980s. Thus the UK is not in a position to lead any sort of Anglo-American effort to impact Russia.

France led by the unpopular Socialist Francois Hollande has been intervening in civil conflicts throughout the African continent and is spread thin militarily while being on fragile ground economically. Germany’s Angela Merkel has indicated she does not want to go along with any significant economic sanctions against Russia.

I continue to believe some sort of military option should remain on the table as a means of confronting Putin. Even if it is merely symbolic as George W. Bush sending of 6th fleet to the Black Sea was during the Russo-Georgia War in 2008.  However, unless the sentiments of our allies change, perhaps the US will be taking any action, militarily or economic alone. 

But at least after tactical mistake after tactical the President is making a change in his tone and rhetoric. His disastrously naive “reset” with our global adversary as well as his mishandling of Benghazi and Syria opened the door for Putin’s actions. But yesterday, Obama firmly began to slam to door in Putin’s face and also discouraged other challenges to US global leadership, for example from China who might be contemplating military action in the South China Sea.

Now let us hope Obama’s change in attitude is not just a one day phenomena.