Posted on 11/21/2016 10:24:39 AM PST by BenLurkin
By all accounts, the relationship over the past two years has been dreadful. The Ukraine crisis gave way to the worst period in U.S.-Russia relations since the end of the Cold War, resulting in mutual sanctions, aggressive military exercises, bellicose rhetoric, the possibility of a military confrontation in Syria, and a total breakdown in communication and cooperation....
... Trump’s pre-election position on Russia took everyone by surprise last July when he said: “Wouldn't it be a great thing if we could actually get along with Russia?”
...
Trump’s overarching world view, based on national interests, is seen, paradoxically, as being more predictable for Russia than the liberalism of Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. Whereas the latter emphasize value-based issues like the humanitarian imperative and the support of civil society and democratic movements, Trump appears to be a devoted realist, willing to cooperate on matters of mutual interest.
When looking at the history of the U.S.-Russia relationship, partnership based on mutual interests seems to be a lot more successful than partnership based on mutual values.
...
Skeptics say that Trump’s more farfetched positions - such as his stance on Russia, may be moderated by his future advisors once he reaches the White House. ...As reiterated most recently by Obama, the U.S. President doesn’t single-handedly determine U.S. foreign policy; it is influenced by diplomats, intelligence officers, and military officials, which provides for a strategic continuity that goes beyond administrations.
The seriousness of the task of restoring relations was not lost on the Kremlin.
"An atmosphere of mutual trust takes years to achieve. It's not possible to just declare that there is an atmosphere of mutual trust, especially after such serious damage was done in the last few years to our relations" said Peskov.
(Excerpt) Read more at russia-direct.org ...
“Why are Russians so optimistic about Trump?”
They aren’t.
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