Cengiz Sözübek
Cengiz Sözübek
November 8, 2024
Trump’s election victory has led to generally optimistic yet cautious analyzes in the Russian press.
In the mainstream U.S. media, mostly aligned with the Democratic Party, there are frequent negative reports related to Russia (from claims of Russian interference in U.S. elections to assertions that Trump is the Kremlin’s man), and an average Russian citizen is likely aware of these. If forced to choose between Trump and any other Democratic candidate, it is almost certain that the Russian people would support Trump by a wide margin.
Although there is a “spring mood” about Trump by a significant group in Türkiye, it is not possible to easily predict the equation that the US establishment and global finance-capital will establish.
It would be useful to read together the editorial of Nezavisimaya Gazeta and the analysis of Dmitri Trenin, one of the figures close to the Kremlin, published in Kommersant, about what Trump means for Russia where the spring mood was short-lived.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: The New U.S. President Could Open a New Door for Negotiations between the West and Russia
Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election has led to sober and cautious evaluations in Russia. Russia’s previous experience with Trump during his first presidency was not entirely negative but disappointing. Sanctions and military aid to Ukraine—all this already existed at that time and the “grand bargain” could not be concluded.
Trump is unpredictable and instinctive in his approach, and the personnel appointments to senior positions he is going to make may shed light on his agenda. However, who will handle foreign policy and security matters in his new administration is not yet known.
It remains uncertain how Trump will fulfill his campaign promise to resolve the Ukraine crisis. He suggested that his meetings with Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky would lead to such a resolution. Now, Vice President-elect James Vance has echoed this idea, suggesting that a peace agreement could include demarcating frontlines and ensuring Ukraine’s neutrality and sovereignty. However, it seems no one, including Trump himself, has a clear strategy for how