INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Playing Putin against Xi against Trump
While Vladimir Putin may welcome the opportunity to play off two major world powers, he will worry about Russia’s interests, writes Saif Islam
US president-elect Donald Trump’s affinity towards Moscow and tendency to antagonise Beijing run counter to President Barack Obama’s major foreign policy landmarks. Despite occasional friction, Obama sought to expand bilateral ties with China, the US’s current largest trading partner. With Russia, on the other hand, he tried to punish and internationally isolate Moscow by imposing sanctions relating to the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine. Whether Trump’s contrasting approaches are isolated moves or part of a grand strategy to drive a wedge between China and Russia in order to "make America great again" is open to speculation. Whatever his motives, they leave Putin with several interesting options. Trump has routinely praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin and called for improved US-Russia relations. Throughout his election campaign, Trump refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, despite public pressure to do so. He has so far dismissed US in...
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