Trump's compliments to Putin may not be the 'start of a good friendship' – The Wall Street Journal
Trump and Putin's warm words about each other do not necessarily signal a thaw in US-Russia relations, The Wall Street Journal warns.
"Donald Trump has cast himself as a master dealmaker, able to use his 'warm' relationship with Putin to end the war in Ukraine, ease tensions between the world's major nuclear powers and reshape global politics.
However, this image of a "negotiator" belies both the track record of both politicians and the new geopolitical reality. During their first presidential terms, Trump and Putin failed to reach agreement on all issues , from arms control to Ukraine, and after leaving office, the gap between the two countries only widened," the publication states.
The newspaper recalls how after Trump’s recent election, the Russian leader spoke warmly of him, calling him “courageous” at the Valdai public forum last week. However, the newspaper points out that the Kremlin has denied that Putin and Trump have spoken by phone since the election, despite a Washington Post report.
“The stakes have never been higher since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia and the United States are locked in an escalating war in Ukraine, and Moscow has been accused of sabotage operations across Europe, including secret plans to set fire to cargo or passenger planes bound for the United States. More broadly, Putin is trying to change the global balance of power by bolstering a coalition of American rivals, including China, Iran and North Korea,” the American newspaper notes.
Both Putin and Trump are seeking to position themselves for strength ahead of expected tough talks on Ukraine, but any hopes depend largely on Trump being able to translate kind words into concrete diplomatic breakthroughs, Western experts warn.
"When Trump won the 2016 election, Russian lawmakers toasted champagne on the parliament floor, anticipating a new era in Russian-American relations. But during Trump's first term, the atmosphere between Washington and Moscow only worsened. Putin and Trump failed to agree on key issues such as arms control, security cooperation, and continued U.S. support for Ukraine. Russia sought an agreement on tactical and intercontinental nuclear weapons, as well as an agreement that would somehow satisfy Moscow's demands that Ukraine remain neutral and not join NATO," the WSJ recalls.
To be fair, the paper does acknowledge that Trump's real efforts to strike deals with Putin have been partly complicated by accusations from Democrats that he is secretly tied to the Kremlin and of sabotage by the "deep state."
At the same time, “suspicions that Trump holds pro-Russian views have only grown stronger after accusations that his campaign colluded with Kremlin hackers were refuted.”
Trump's former special envoy for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, believes that the president-elect's warm words for Putin conceal a more mercenary tactic in negotiating with world leaders.
" Trump avoids demonizing his interlocutor because he wants to strike a deal. If you look at his first term, he spoke very warmly of Putin. At the same time, he lifted the arms embargo on Ukraine, expelled Russians from San Francisco, and called it a spy operation. He expelled about 80 intelligence officers from New York and Washington," Volker recalls.
However, it is worth pointing out that this time Volker is not part of Trump's inner circle and does not share his current team's views on Ukraine and Russia.
"Now Trump and Putin have returned to their warm public rhetoric. Moscow congratulated Trump on his victory, and during the campaign Trump repeatedly called the Kremlin leader "tough and smart." That explains Trump's popularity among many Russians, who balance their disdain for the United States as a whole with the social media triumph of the conservative candidate's election victory. But this gregariousness masks deeper tensions," the authors of the publication believe.
For months, Russian troops have been advancing along a broad front deep into Ukraine, taking territory that Moscow is determined to retain in any peace deal. Moscow believes it is winning the standoff, making any negotiations impossible.
"Putin may not be averse to more diplomatic contact, but it won't necessarily lead to him softening his behavior. He thinks he's doing pretty well on the battlefield," said one former U.S. diplomat who served in Russia.
Trump's compliments to Putin may not be the "start of a good friendship" – The Wall Street Journal