How About Russia and Mars?

The International Space Station may still be seen as successful U.S.-Russian cooperation, what about a future Mars mission?  Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of The Mars Society, had some grim words about Russia prior to the invasion of Ukraine in Fall 2013 edition of The Mars Quarterly.  In his article, he discusses some dark comments by Putin advisor Alexander Dugin:

"Liberalism,” says Dugin, meaning the whole western consensus, “is an absolute evil....Only a global crusade against the U.S., the West, globalization and their political-ideological expression, liberalism, is capable of becoming an adequate response...The American empire should be destroyed.”

Notheless, Dr. Zubrin still believed in a joint U.S.-Russian mission to Mars, noting, "Dr. Carl Sagan proposed a similar concept to help counteract U.S.-Soviet tensions in the 1980s. It was a good idea then, but critically necessary one now"

I am not sure if the recent events in Ukraine may have changed the mind of Dr. Zubrin, but I think we need to be very careful here.  The International Space Station already hands in the balance.  Do we want more of our NASA dollars dependent on a fickle and growingly reckless Russia?  My tendency is to say no for now.

Let's put any joint Mars mission on the shelf until we know we are able to work together with Russia on this planet.