Putin-Trump: Putting the Squeeze on Europe

The relaxed, even amiable, tone that prevailed at the bilateral summit between the United States and Russia could have been interpreted as good news for future international stability, were it not for the fact that the current U.S. president, Donald Trump, appears to have decided to return to the days of “coexistence,” when each nuclear superpower guarded its respective sphere of influence above all other considerations. Beyond the pleasant words and the promises to undertake a new phase of disarmament, the only tangible promises are to be found in the acceptance of Moscow’s occupation of the Crimean Peninsula and eastern Ukraine as a fait accompli, and the reaffirmation of the status quo on the border between Syria and Israel, or in other words, the agreement by Washington not to intervene against the regime of Bashar Assad.

It was predictable because although the U.S. media, very critical of the president, have lampooned Trump as inconstant, impulsive and inconsistent, in reality, the new occupant of the White House is not backing down in the face of critics or arguments. He is willing to do what fits best with “America First,” the slogan that epitomizes his election platform. And in Trump’s imagination, as for most ordinary U.S. residents, the old Europe is little more than a club of selfish people who are shifting the responsibility for their own defense to the United States. With the money they save on military spending, they can provide better healthcare than the U.S. has, and bankroll an agricultural industry that competes unfairly.

So, Donald Trump does not want to support a policy of confrontation with Russia at the expense of Ukraine, when the European NATO allies are not contributing financially on an equal basis. The thaw in relations with Vladimir Putin, despite warnings against this from a large sector of the Department of Defense and from numerous Democrats and Republicans in Congress, is seen by Trump as a way to put pressure on the tightfisted Europeans and, at the same time, guarantee a quiet flank in his trade dispute with China.

However, the problem is that the annexation of Crimea was preceded by other Russian interventions in former Soviet territories like Georgia, with the secessions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia converted to protectorates of the Kremlin, and by the destabilizing actions in Macedonia and Montenegro, in a clear expansionist policy against which the European Union had no choice but to push back. In any case, the further consequences of this summit which, whether we like it or not, has to some extent restored Russia’s lost status, will depend on Putin’s interpretation of Trump’s attitude.

For now, Moscow has already pointed out the need to address the many flashpoints across the world today, a task that should be dealt with through U.S.-Russian collaboration. Brussels should take note of this geopolitical victory that has been cheerfully handed to Putin and urge the European allies once and for all to plan and develop a common foreign policy, above national interests. We should not forget that Russia feels threatened by NATO and EU expansion over the past 20 years and will not back down.