Trump acts predictably, doing what Putin wants — analyst

He shared his opinions on Espreso TV.

“Trump’s policy was entirely clear. He twice voted alongside Russia, Belarus, and North Korea against resolutions condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine. Even Iran and China abstained at the time. Only about a dozen countries supported Russia, yet the United States joined them — that’s a serious and troubling signal. Meanwhile, over 100 nations in both cases voted to condemn Russian aggression. Does Putin like USAID? No — it should be shut down. NATO? No — weaken it. Radio Free Europe, Voice of America? No — turn them off. Does he support promoting democracy abroad? Also no — roll it back. Trump acts entirely predictably: he does what Putin wants,” Åslund explained.

The analyst emphasized that Trump needs to create the impression that he is pressuring Putin. This is due to the fact that most Americans support Ukraine.

“The only constraint is public opinion: about two-thirds of Americans support Ukraine, including nearly half of Republicans. So Trump cannot act without limits. He needs to create the impression that he’s trying to pressure Russia. He’s made a few statements like, ‘This is too much, stop the bombing, Vladimir’ — but that’s where it ends. It shouldn’t be taken seriously. Interestingly, Trump didn’t lift any key sanctions against Russia — he even extended some. So, he doesn’t dare go so far that too many people, like myself, could openly say he’s acting as Putin’s junior partner,” he added.

• On April 24, Politico reported that the White House was allegedly discussing lifting sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The State Department denied it.
• On May 3, it became known that U.S. officials had finalized the development of new economic sanctions against Russia; however, it remains unclear whether U.S. President Donald Trump will approve the new sanctions package.