Trump has taken Putin's side in hybrid war against West — political analyst

Volodymyr Horbach, political analyst at the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"In my view, Donald Trump aligns himself with Russia and his favored partner, Vladimir Putin, with whom he repeatedly claims to have excellent relations. Russia is conducting a so-called hybrid war against the collective West, encompassing political, economic, informational, and military dimensions.

The military component of this hybrid war is playing out in Ukraine, primarily targeting Ukraine itself. However, all other aspects are also aimed at the Western world, including the United States.

And what have we seen in just over a month of Donald Trump's presidency? Politically, he has taken a significant step toward Putin, as reflected in votes on resolutions at the UN and the UN Security Council. He has effectively refused to condemn Russian aggression and, in essence, has taken Russia’s side. This serves as a clear political indicator," he stated.

Regarding the economic dimension, this includes discussions about lifting certain sanctions, which, according to reports, are already underway.

"Economic measures reportedly involve directives from the U.S. administration to prepare decisions aimed at gradually easing or lifting some sanctions against the Russian Federation. While this has not yet been implemented, it is already under consideration and will likely be introduced as part of so-called confidence-building measures between the United States and Russia.

In the informational dimension of hybrid warfare, Donald Trump, the vice president, and nearly the entire administration have completely aligned with Russia. They are actively participating in Russia’s information war against Ukraine by spreading disinformation, falsehoods, post-truth narratives, and Kremlin talking points. Essentially, Trump perceives the world and speaks as Vladimir Putin does — through a Russian lens. In his view, Putin is never to blame; instead, responsibility falls on Ukraine, Europe, Biden — anyone but Putin," the analyst asserted.

Volodymyr Horbach emphasized that, in terms of information policy, Donald Trump has positioned himself as far as possible on Russia’s side, fully aligning with Moscow.

"Regarding the military dimension of the war, it is now evident that Donald Trump has aligned with Russia by halting military aid to Ukraine, including the intelligence support previously provided. Essentially, across all four dimensions of Russia’s hybrid war against the collective West — including Ukraine — Trump has already taken Russia’s side in three, while in the economic sphere, he is preparing to do so.

Additionally, the trade wars, tariffs, and other economic measures targeting U.S. allies, such as Canada, along with the planned tariff increases on the European Union starting April 4, ultimately serve Vladimir Putin’s interests. These actions weaken the economies of America's allies and, in turn, undermine the U.S. economy itself — though Trump has yet to realize this. So, the answer to your question is simple and obvious: Donald Trump is fighting on Vladimir Putin’s side," the political analyst concluded.

• On March 3, reports emerged that the United States was formulating a plan to potentially ease sanctions on Russia, as President Donald Trump aimed to rebuild ties with Moscow and bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
• On March 4, it was reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had requested Russian leader Vladimir Putin to mediate negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program.