US - Russia International Relations

US – Russia Relations

(A 10-Week Series)

Introduction

After the cozy and seemingly warm attitudes displayed between Russian leaders and GOP Presidential Candidate Donald Trump, and his campaign staff, everyone following the news expected the US-Russian international relations to soothe and improve considerably.

Nevertheless, the facts of recent history delivered a somewhat, and perhaps surprising to many people, different scenario than obviously expected. The surprise becomes more subtle when we consider that not only is the hope for the anxiously awaited improvement of relations between the US and Russia dissipating like a smoke screen, but relations between the two superpowers are apparently taking a wrong turn, as hostilities seemingly increase and the political schism deepens.

As Russia joyously celebrated the come from behind victory of the GOP underdog, Russians are perhaps the ones taken completely off base, as the Donald Trump White House leads the rhetoric, taking the shots against Putin and the Kremlin.

In the meantime, the Russian leadership plays the seating duck, hard to say if out of shock or because they truly were so confident in Trump’s intentions that they did not work on a backup plan to answer this most unexpected turn of events.

The action is all on Trump’s court. His administration so far has done very little to mend fences and make friends with the Kremlin. On the contrary, the US Government has made it clear by both words and action consistently, that it is not ready to trust Russians unless the goals of previous US Administrations in general, and the objectives pursued by the past Obama Administration in particular, are fundamentally satisfied.

Some facts supporting our theory are as follows:

• The FBI investigation of Russia’s alleged meddling in US politics

• The US airstrike against Syrian military positions

• Accusations that Russia is arming the Taliban

• The Ukraine situation

After this introduction, during the first weekly topic, we will engage a brief history of the diplomatic relations between the United States and Russia. The historical data will serve as a backdrop against which to see with a bit more clarity where current developments between the US and Russian come from. It is very likely that recent events find their grounding, or are at least influenced to a significant extent, on background issues dating back to the Cold War. It is also likely that supporters of a derailed NATO are creating or exacerbating tensions in a rather desperate effort to salvage it, as the now seemingly outdated and unnecessary alliance fights to stay alive and remain relevant.

On the second weekly topic, we will analyze the current state of US-Russia diplomatic relations. We will consider the recent rhetoric, the attitudinal shifts with the new Trump administration, and the actions taken on both sides. A comparative analysis of those elements should suggest the probable path diplomatic relations between the two countries would follow.

The FBI investigation of allegations of Russian meddling in US internal affairs (US politics) are seen by some circles as spurious political heckling. During the third weekly topic, we will dissect the mystery surrounding the FBI and its investigation of both Trump and Clinton campaigns. We will seek answers to questions like, “Is there credible evidence to justify the investigation?”, or “Is the investigation the work of sectors within the US political establishment who seek to exert pressure on Donald Trump and complicate his presidency?”

Perhaps the most shocking action taken by the US government against Russia in recent years was the airstrike against Russian-backed Syrian Government forces. The attack was in response to the alleged employment by Syrian Army operatives of biological weapons. The claims were based on evidence collected by the US Intelligence services. Here the waters get muddy. For one thing, Donald Trump displayed great leadership in taking the kind of action Barack Obama avoided during his entire presidency. On the other hand, it seems obvious that Donald Trump enjoys great leverage of goodwill capital from Russia, its government and its people. The debate, however, ensues around the quality of the evidence upon which the US President authorized the airstrikes. Reminiscences of the 2003 Iraq war are difficult to ignore. During the fourth weekly topic, we analyze the evidence on both sides of the debate.

Among the accusations emerging as the tensions between the US and Russia heat up, is a somewhat feeble report concerning Russian weapons and the Taliban. During the fifth weekly topic, we test the accuracy of such reports. Were the weapons Russian? Did they come from Russia? Was the Russian Government involved? Alternatively, were the weapons illegally smuggled in violation of Russian laws and policy?

The 2014 Ukrainian Crisis, now the Ukrainian war, is no doubt the major source of tension between Russian on one side, and the United States and Europe, on the other. We will explore our unconventional take on the issue on the sixth weekly topic of this exciting series.

Since the beginning of his presidency, President Donald J. Trump has been at odds with the US Intelligence Services. The rare and perilous scenario unravels where an Executive who depends on information received from his intelligence apparatus is pit against an intelligence machinery built by and loyal to a political establishment that wants to vanish him into oblivion. During the seventh weekly topic of this series, we ponder the risks and potential pitfalls the US President faces in dealing with the US Intelligence Services.

The political establishment in the US is today a species in danger of extinction. Let there be no doubt that the election of Donald J. Trump was a vote of protest. It was certainly a vote of no confidence in the political establishment. Ever since the 2016 elections, the political establishment on both sides of the isle struggles to regain its footing.  Is the turmoil leading the political establishment to sabotage President Donald Trump? It seems obvious that the reelection of Donald J. Trump would drive the last nail on the political establishment’s coffin. In the eighth weekly topic of this series, we explore whether or not the political establishment is putting pressure on President Trump in an effort to manipulate him as a last resort in their quest for survival. How would such pressure affect the US-Russian international relations?

Are the accentuated hostilities of recent years between US and Russia just about oil? In the ninth weekly topic, we explore the incidence of economics, the economics of energy in particular, and the role they play in the US-Russia International Relations.

In the tenth and last weekly topic of this series, we gather our facts collected during the entire span of the ten weeks, blend them together, and squeeze the nectar. We will use our analysis to ponder future trends in US-Russia relations. Where is the Ukrainian situation going? Is peace anywhere in the horizon? Is there a plausible solution for Syria? How can improved US-Russian relations help build the road to peace?

Stay tuned beginning this Monday, May 1, and every Monday thereafter, as we engage this exciting series on the US-Russia relations. Be ready to post your comments, and share with your friends and family on the social networks.

Copyright © 2017 Daniel Santos

All rights Reserved

This series is part of the efforts to introduce audiences to the kind of contents and the quality of material of my book “Rise of the Sadducees: Debunking the Evolutionary Perspective of World History”.