Lavrov's interview with Tucker Carlson reveals Kremlin's fear of Trump

Lavrov's interview with Tucker Carlson highlights how the U.S. presidential election has influenced the group of Kremlin pensioners. It also reveals how the initial goal of "Kyiv in three days" has shifted to "make it by January 20." This has led to attempts at “flirtation,” such as claims that "we are not officially at war with the United States" and statements where "President Putin expresses his deep respect for the American people."

It is clear that Russians fear Trump — the same Trump who recently claimed in a conversation with Putin that if he didn’t leave Ukraine alone, Trump would strike "right in the middle of fricking Moscow" (a statement whose seriousness remains uncertain due to Trump's unpredictability). Trump, who was the first to supply Javelins to Ukraine, and Trump, who, when assembling a future administration responsible for the Ukrainian direction, selects specialists who are, if not pro-Ukrainian, then at least certainly anti-Putin.

Putin is well aware of this. While he doesn’t yet know Trump’s specific plan, he knows with certainty that a plan exists — and nothing suggests it would be beneficial for the Kremlin. The plan will serve American interests, and members of Trump’s future cabinet have already been outspoken about the U.S. prioritizing the defeat of Russia. As a result, the Kremlin will seize every opportunity to influence the situation. Establishing channels of influence over Americans remains a key objective for the Kremlin. This is what we saw in Lavrov's interview with Tucker Carlson — an attempt to sway the situation while understanding that the current circumstances are not in their favor.

About the author. Mykola Kniazhytskyi, journalist, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament

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