Donald Trump and the Evolving U.S.-Russia Relationship

Authors : Andrei KOROBKOV

Pages : 39-58

View : 18 | Download : 9

Publication Date : 2019-10-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Donald Trump came to the White House with a desire to adjust U.S. foreign  policy to the ongoing shifts in the international system. As a hardcore realist, he  wanted to improve U.S.-Russia relations, perceiving the latter as an important  counterweight to quickly-growing China and a potential partner in dealing  with religious fundamentalism. Nevertheless, of all Trump’s policy initiatives,  this one has encountered the most resistance from entrenched American elites.  Combined with massive propaganda campaign alleging Russian interference in  the U.S. elections insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(that seems to target Trump no less than Russia);, the President’s  opponents are pursuing an agenda that will have long-term consequences for both  countries. The elite’s refusal to recognize the scale and the potential consequences  of the ongoing world power shifts and the consistent exaggeration of both the RF’s  power capabilities and the seriousness of its threat to Western interests create a  distorted virtual reality, handicapping the Global North’s ability to deal with  newly emerging threats. These policies incrementally push Russia toward China,  strengthen the hawks within Putin’s inner  circle, and lead to further conservative  shifts in his foreign and domestic policies. 
Keywords : U S Russia relations, Eurocentric system, Global North, unimultipolar system, power politics