Trump and Rubio are tiptoeing when they should be stamping feet

Why are Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, his secretary of state, tiptoing around the two biggest diplomatic crises when they have the power and leverage to stamp their feet and demand change? Trump still hasn't imposed the severe sanctions he promised to consider against Putin and Russia for continuing to smash Ukraine to bits, and Rubio is in Israel saying he doesn't like the Israeli bombing of Hamas in Qatar but nothing has changed the relationship between Tel Aviv and Washington. So all nice and friendly and indecisive. Trump is now linking the possibility of imposing new sanctions against Russia to Europe stopping buying oil from Moscow. Europe has cut back significantly but still buys some oil from Russia because they have failed to find affordable alternatives to meet demand. So, Trump's announcement is fair enough. Why sanction Russia when there is this big loophole for Putin? However, if Trump just came out with it and declared new massive sanctions, it would force Europe and India and China and others who still buying Russian oil to take drastic steps to look elsewhere for energy supplies. Then Putin really would be in trouble. But right now he can rely on India (despite 50 per cent tariffs by Trump) and China and North Korea and some European countries to keep his war machine going. Meanwhile, Rubio clearly has no authority from his boss to punish Israel for striking at Hamas offices in Doha in Qatar which killed half a dozen people but none of the Hamas hierarchy, or so the designated terrorist organisation claims. Will he ask Netanyahu not to do it again? Even if he does, Netanyahu will shrug his shoudrs. When it comes to Israel's security, he will do anything and everything to stop his country's enemies. So any entreaties from Rubio will fall on stony ground. Washington is supposed to be all-powerful but right now those with the power are backing off. The beneficiaries are Putin and Netanyahu.