Advertisement

News Analysis: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin: A much-scrutinized relationship is back in the spotlight

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, seated, lean toward each other.
Then-President Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in 2017 in Hamburg, Germany.
(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)
Share via
  • Of all President-elect Donald Trump¡¯s relationships with world leaders, that with Russian President Vladimir Putin may be the most consequential, and the most fraught.
  • Critics fear Trump will be steamrolled by the former KGB officer regarding Russia¡¯s war on Ukraine and the future of NATO.
  • But some say Russia¡¯s leader, in seeking to make Ukraine a ¡°vassal state,¡± could overreach: ¡°I¡¯m not sure Trump is ready to go to those lengths, if it makes him look like a loser.¡±

They tend to gush over each other in public, but their private dealings are often opaque. Both are brazenly transactional, and cling tenaciously to grudges. Each likes to keep everyone around him guessing.

Of all President-elect Donald Trump¡¯s relationships with world leaders ¡ª which are coming into sharper focus as he prepares to take office again in less than two months ¡ª that with Russian President Vladimir Putin may be the most consequential, and the most fraught.

Trump says his foreign policy motto will be ¡°America first.¡± Critics fear that Trump will be steamrolled by the former Soviet intelligence officer on Ukraine, on sanctions aimed at curbing Russian aggression, and on the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Advertisement

Whatever his course, he now has a better grasp of the levers of power in the administration he will soon lead than he did in his first term.

¡°I think maybe Trump has a better idea now of how to be president,¡± said Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, discussing Trump¡¯s past dealings with Putin. ¡°So let¡¯s see.¡±

Throughout Trump¡¯s first term in office, his ties to Putin offered an odd leitmotif: the episodes of striking public deference to the Russian leader, Trump¡¯s often-stated assertion that a personal bond with Putin benefited the United States rather than undermining it, his unabated fury over the lengthy federal investigation of Moscow¡¯s interference in the 2016 presidential election on Trump¡¯s behalf.

Advertisement

World leaders swiftly weighed in, from enthusiastic congratulations to more somber and circumspect assurances of continuity in the relationship with Trump.

Back in 2018, at a joint news conference by the two leaders in the Finnish capital of Helsinki, Trump¡¯s declaration that he believed Putin over his own intelligence agencies so alarmed a then-advisor, the Russia scholar Fiona Hill, that she later recounted being tempted to feign a health emergency or pull a fire alarm to stop him.

In Trump¡¯s between-terms interregnum, he and Putin seemingly stayed in touch, with at least seven phone conversations that took place outside the purview of U.S. diplomacy, according to journalist and author Bob Woodward.

This time around, Trump inherits the war in Ukraine, a conflict to which the United States is not a party, but which Putin paints as a potentially direct confrontation with any Western military partner of the Kyiv government. He will also face a loose axis of adversarial powers in which Russia is a junior player to China, but bolsters Moscow¡¯s avowal that a U.S.-led world order has ended.

Advertisement

Ukrainians fear Trump will cut off military aid for the war against Russia, even as Ukraine¡¯s leader aims to win him over with congratulations and praise.

The Trump-Putin relationship over the next four years could help determine how that axis tilts.

After Trump won November¡¯s election, he and Putin enacted what some analysts described as an elaborate set piece that encompassed elements of both conciliation and jockeying for dominance.

The Russian leader offered up his first public congratulations on Trump¡¯s election win somewhat offhandedly, in a question-and-answer session that followed a lengthy speech. But at the same appearance, he volunteered a compliment guaranteed to endear him to the president-elect, praising Trump¡¯s ¡°manly¡± reaction to a July assassination attempt that left the then-candidate with a minor ear injury.

Russian President Vladimir Putin¡¯s remarks came during an international forum following a speech in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Then came an odd kerfuffle over who might have called whom: The Trump team let it be known there had been a congratulatory phone call, but the Kremlin then denied news reports of it. Around the same time, a widely watched program on Russian state TV aired decades-old explicit photos of former and soon-to-be First Lady Melania Trump, a onetime model, while its hosts openly smirked.

Almost immediately after the election, there was a much-parsed comment from Nikolai Patrushev, a Putin aide, who gave an enigmatic reply when asked what Trump¡¯s win portended for Russia.

¡°To achieve success in the election, Donald Trump relied on certain forces to which he has corresponding obligations,¡± Patrushev told the business publication Kommersant, in remarks that were amplified by the official Tass news agency. ¡°As a responsible person, he will be obliged to fulfill them.¡±

Advertisement

During a Q&A, Trump shared his views on tariffs, monetary policy and the Federal Reserve. But he also went on meandering digressions.

While ambiguous, the comment was read by some observers as positing that Trump was somehow beholden to Moscow ¡ª but was also typical of a sly, suggestive style often employed in Kremlin propaganda.

Trump, for his part, spent the last few weeks unveiling a series of Cabinet picks that included some notable Russia skeptics, at least in their previous incarnations.

But for one particularly crucial post ¡ª the director of national intelligence, who oversees 18 U.S. intelligence agencies that gather and safeguard the nation¡¯s most closely held secrets ¡ª he picked Tulsi Gabbard, a former congresswoman whose stated pro-Kremlin views have raised concerns even among Trump¡¯s fellow Republicans.

¡°The appointment to such a sensitive role of someone with so many questions around them, whose nomination has been welcomed on Russian TV, escalates the concern that many observers have,¡± Ruth Deyermond, a senior lecturer in post-Soviet security at King¡¯s College London, wrote in an email.

The choice of Gabbard, she said, ¡°confirms existing signals that point to a very pro-Russian White House.¡±

An early test is likely to be Ukraine. There is a broad expectation that Trump will seek to leverage a threatened weapons cutoff into a deal that might force the government in Kyiv to give up Russian-captured territory and renounce aspirations to join NATO.

Advertisement

On Wednesday, Trump unveiled his choice of a special envoy for Russia and Ukraine: Keith Kellogg, a retired three-star general. A staunch conservative and an advisor in the first Trump administration, he has pushed for a plan under which Ukraine would have to cede some territory to end the war.

But Putin might not be positioned to get his way entirely. Liik, of the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the Russian leader, in seeking to make Ukraine a ¡°vassal state,¡± could overreach.

¡°Putin wants more than Trump is ready to offer,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure Trump is ready to go to those lengths, if it makes him look like a loser.¡±

Still, the president-elect can effect profound changes in the security order even if he does not follow through on every implied threat.

Russian President Vladimir Putin¡¯s KGB years in East Germany offer a window into his crackdown on protests, war on Ukraine and yearning for empire.

During his first term, Trump routinely denigrated the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and suggested as a candidate that he would let Russia do ¡°whatever the hell they want¡± to European allies he thought were ducking defense-spending obligations.

¡°I don¡¯t expect Trump to formally withdraw the U.S. from NATO, but his team¡¯s words and actions to date have already weakened it,¡± said Deyermond.

Advertisement

Some observers, though, say that with regard to actual policymaking, overall Russian expectations for the coming Trump presidency may be relatively low. After Trump¡¯s first win, in 2016, ¡°pro-Kremlin propaganda mouthpieces openly crowed that the victory was really Moscow¡¯s,¡± said Alexander Baunov, a senior Eurasia fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

¡°This time around, things are very different,¡± he wrote in the digital publication Carnegie Politika. ¡°The jubilation in Moscow is far more muted.¡±

This week brought an acerbic assessment of both Trump¡¯s and Putin¡¯s personality traits from none other than former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who wrote in a newly published memoir about her dealings with both of them.

Merkel, who stepped down in 2021, described Trump as ¡°clearly fascinated¡± by the Russian president, adding that he seemed ¡°captivated by politicians with autocratic and dictatorial traits.¡±

Putin, on the other hand, was ¡°someone who was always on guard not to be treated badly, and always ready to dish out punishments¡± ¡ª including once bringing a large black Labrador to a meeting with Merkel, knowing she was afraid of dogs.

Describing one of her encounters with Trump, Merkel called him ¡°emotional.¡± But she counseled that a calm, dispassionate approach worked better with someone like Putin.

Advertisement

¡°You could find all this childish, reprehensible; you could shake your head at it,¡± she wrote of Putin¡¯s manipulative style. ¡°But that didn¡¯t make Russia disappear from the map.¡±

Advertisement
seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com