Trump-Putin bond can give US policy a new direction

Sawraj Singh

America should understand that Trump’s understanding with Putin can be its greatest asset rather than a liability. Unfortunately, so far Trump has been criticised for having good relations with Putin. However, such relationship can provide America an opportunity to not only improve its relations with Russia but also with China because Putin has a very close alliance with China. If America has good relations with Russia then eventually its relations with China are likely to improve. Sooner or later, America is going to realise that Putin is too smart to fall in the trap that to become America’s friend he has to sacrifice his relations with China. Putin will continue to give highest priority to his relations with China and continue coordinating with it his policies. Once America realises that it is unlikely to draw a wedge between Russia and China, it will give up its policies of containing and confronting China.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, America became the only superpower of the world. It could do pretty much whatever it wanted, whenever and wherever. This made America and Americans extremely arrogant. America even tried to make a virtue of this vice by promoting the concept of ‘American exceptionalism’. This concept tried to cover up and justify its arrogant and hegemonic behaviour. Such erratic behaviour not only hurt the rest of the world, but also proved very harmful for America. Because of this attitude, the US was unable to understand and properly respond to the changed situation in the world.

The world situation, the equations of power and the balance of power have radically changed. Putin understood from the very beginning that if there is an alliance between China and Russia then the balance of power will tilt towards them. Therefore, as soon as he came to power, he gave Russia-China relations the highest priority. Putin knew that America and the West really had no option to counter the strength of the Russia-China alliance. Europe understood this fact better than America. The US has continued to counter the combined strength of Russia and China by adopting different measures such as trying to contain Russia in Europe and China in Asia. America tried to get exclusive control over the Mideast oil by toppling Saddam in Iraq and Gaddafi in Libya and by trying to topple Assad in Syria. These American policies proved disastrous.

America has tried to contain Russia by inciting countries such as Georgia and Ukraine against it. However, this policy too failed miserably. Similarly, America continues to contain China by inciting India against it and by promoting the idea of a quadrilateral alliance of America, India, Japan and Australia. However, instead of isolating and containing China, America is clearly losing ground to China in Asia. The Philippines is a good example of this phenomenon. One of the closest allies of America, it has moved closer to China. The Philippines is not alone, many other Asian countries are in a similar situation. These countries are closely watching the emergence of new power equations in Asia.

One of the main causes of Trump’s victory was the pressure from America’s major European allies to reconsider its anti-Russia policy. They were very concerned about Russia’s response to this American policy. Russia’s response to the economic sanctions hurt them more than the sanctions hurt Russia. Similarly, Russia’s military response, which could even include a nuclear strike, could prove devastating for them. Therefore, Trump’s understanding with Putin proved to be a major asset in winning the election. Many in the West seem to feel that an understanding with Russia is now needed to maintain peace and harmony in the world.

However, a similar understanding about China is still lacking. America still feels that it can draw a wedge between Russia and China and use Russia against China the way it used China to bring down the Soviet Union. This is the reason that Trump seems to continue to pursue an anti-China policy while advocating reconciliation with Russia. America should understand that the situation now is very different than at the time of the Soviet Union. The world was bipolar then, now it has become multi-polar. China has become the manufacturing hub and engine of the world economy. It is almost impossible to contain China.

Putin understands these factors more than any world leader. Therefore an understanding between Trump and Putin can be very beneficial for America and the rest of the world. Putin can help Trump understand the changed situation better than anyone else. America should start seeing this relation as an asset rather than a liability. America has to accept the reality of a multi-polar world.

The writer is chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice.