President Trump’s diplomatic maneuvers with Russia continue to puzzle analysts, sparking debate over his motivations and the implications for US-Russia relations.
President Trump has upended U.S.-Russia policy in a matter of days, leaving foreign policy experts scrambling to understand his motivations and what might come next.
Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics.
Trump began his career in real estate development in the 1970s and built a business empire through various ventures, including casinos and golf courses.
He became the host of the reality TV show 'The Apprentice' in 2004 and served as the chairman of the Trump Organization until 2017.
In 2016, he was elected as the 45th President of the United States.
The president’s comments on Ukraine this week were starkly different from his tone when discussing Vladimir Putin. While Trump falsely accused Ukraine of starting the war with Russia and called its president a dictator, he has not used similar language when speaking about Putin. This dichotomy has left many wondering what drives Trump‘s approach to Russia.
A Shift in Approach
The president’s comments on ‘Ukraine this week were starkly different from his tone when discussing Vladimir Putin.’ have left many wondering what drives Trump‘s approach to Russia.
A New Direction?
Nikolas Gvosdev, a professor at the Naval War College, believes that the Trump administration is signaling a desire to bypass Ukraine in its dealings with Russia. ‘What the Trump administration appears to be signaling is that they do not want the U.S.-Russia relationship to run through Kyiv,’ he said.
The Role of Strong Leaders
Gvosdev also thinks that Trump‘s fondness for strong leaders, such as Putin and China’s Xi Jinping, plays a significant role in his approach to foreign policy. ‘I think there’s an attractiveness to the idea that the endpoint of this is a new Big Three or Big Two with Putin maybe as the half-2 1/2-Big Three that now sets the stage for the 21st century,’ he said.
Transactional Politics
Melinda Haring, an expert on Russia and Ukraine policy, suggests that there’s more to Trump‘s approach than meets the eye. ‘This is about transactional politics,’ she explained. ‘The Russians are trying to seduce Trump with the resumption of Russian business, including energy deals and a return to the ‘glory days’ of U.S.-Russia relations in the 1990s.’
Ukraine’s Role
Haring also pointed out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky needs to be willing to compromise on issues like mineral rights. ‘The other hope is that Putin pisses Trump off so much that Trump says, ‘You think I’m weak? Let me show you,” she said.
Uncertainty Ahead
While some experts believe that Trump could take a tougher stance with Russia, others are skeptical. Even at the U.N., the Trump administration refused to sign onto a resolution criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: foreign policy experts will be watching closely to see what Trump does next.
