(CNN) -- The United States has been rudely reminded that Russia is a major power with different values, ambitions and goals than America's. Putin's brazen move to assert Russian interests, in Crimea in particular and Ukraine in general, seems to have come as a shock to many leaders in the Obama administration and to most of the American news media. President Barack Obama had after all ridiculed Sen. John McCain in 2008 and Gov. Mitt Romney in 2012 for suggesting that Russian policy could become a major problem. Then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dramatically pushed a reset button to demonstrate the Obama team's commitment to working with Russia.
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Gingrich: Crimea action reminds U.S. that Russia has different values, goals, ambitions
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He says much of the action taken by the U.S. so far has involved symbolism, meetings
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More effective strategy would involve vastly increasing energy production, he says
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Gingrich: Putin's logic could threaten the independence of the Baltic states
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Association with @placeholder might win a popular referendum (thus putting the democracies in a real dilemma).
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-- Third, strengthen the ability of @placeholder to produce its own energy so it has both a healthier economy and no longer relies on Putin and Russia as its main source of energy.
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-- Third, strengthen the ability of Ukraine to produce its own energy so it has both a healthier economy and no longer relies on @placeholder and Russia as its main source of energy.
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The more oil and gas the United States produces, the further we can drive down costs, leaving the @placeholder weaker and with fewer resources.
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This would send a signal in the real world that the @placeholder would understand.