Trump and Putin: bond dating back to 2016

After the now-famous phone call between Trump and Putin, Trump made it clear to allies that he believes Russia is winning the war in Ukraine. This comes despite the fact that the front line has shifted little since the start of the year, and the U.S. president knows it.

American analysts are no longer mincing words:

“Putin has years of experience manipulating Trump, and he knows the American president loves to declare deals, even when no deal exists.”

“The call was a painful reminder that Trump is the junior partner in the Russia-U.S. relationship, and that Putin will continue his campaign of mass killings in Ukraine for as long as he can get away with it.”

“Trump has made America functionally an ally of Russia and seems personally afraid of angering Putin.”

Many Ukrainians had blamed the Democrats, led by Joe Biden, for lacking the support and resolve that could have helped Ukraine, if not defeat Russia, then at least improve its position on the battlefield. Politicians, analysts, and everyday news consumers believed that Trump would be far more decisive than Biden and would “corner” Putin. Trump himself fueled this image, promising to end the war in 24 hours.

And indeed, Trump is decisive. He is decisively trying to please Putin at the expense of Ukraine’s interests and those of European partner countries, whose leaders still can’t get used to the self-destructive political moves of the U.S. president.

As a result, the war drags on. Trump has already spoken with Putin three times and has failed to exert the kind of pressure that would force Putin to withdraw his army from Ukraine, pay reparations, and testify before an international tribunal. On the contrary, Putin continues to kill Ukrainians with even greater brutality, while Trump, ignoring calls for a ceasefire, firmly refuses to apply further sanctions on Russia and will most likely cut off new military aid to Ukraine once Biden’s package runs out. Instead, he talks about “improving relations” with Russia and promises unmatched economic cooperation.

"Trump’s affection for Putin didn’t begin today. Those who closely watched Trump’s first presidential term had no illusions, only a bad feeling."

Let’s recall: in 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies unanimously stated that Russia interfered in the presidential election that Trump won. Trump called it a witch hunt, and later, at a joint press conference with Putin, he shocked the world by saying Putin denied Russia’s interference and that he (Trump) believed him, undermining the authority of the country he led.

In 2018, Trump’s advisers tried to dissuade him from congratulating Putin on winning Russia’s presidential election, explaining that the Kremlin would use his words to claim that the world’s leading democracy endorsed its fraudulent elections. But Trump was bursting with pride for Putin, impressed by the scale of the “victory,” and insisted on making the call, during which his advisers had placed a card in front of him with bold letters: “DO NOT CONGRATULATE.”

Trump and Putin spoke for about forty minutes, cheerfully discussing how they could conduct economic dealings between their countries. No one could stop Trump, and ignoring the note in front of him, he congratulated Putin, something the Kremlin immediately took advantage of.

What saved the situation from a closer friendship between Putin and Trump was the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election that Trump had won. Many questioned the legitimacy of his victory, which limited Trump to only verbal support for Russia.

These circumstances helped Ukrainian President Poroshenko persuade Trump to sign the Crimea Declaration (affirming that the U.S. recognizes Crimea as part of Ukraine) and to approve the delivery of Javelin missiles to Ukraine.

The second presidency is radically different. A stunning victory and absolute self-confidence, bordering on autocracy, give Trump a carte blanche for any actions, many of which are harmful primarily to the United States itself. This includes the destruction of equality, the rollback of rights for long-marginalized groups, and the rejection of U.S. soft power, which once allowed influence not through weapons but through support for free speech, human rights, and vital aid.

"Why does Trump support Putin? Setting aside conspiracy theories, it’s simply because Trump likes him — Putin has unchecked power, the kind Trump himself craves as he dismantles democratic institutions."

Back in 2018, Putin demonstrated his ability to manipulate Trump by convincing him that together they could accomplish a lot, if they ignored their advisors, many of whom were "untrustworthy." He told Trump not to trust anyone in the Washington administration because “our subordinates are fighting against our friendship.” Trump, a natural paranoiac, of course believed him.

Trump sees the world through the eyes of a 19th-century politician, where only the law of force applied, international law didn’t exist, and one could calmly annex anything, as long as they had the power.

Statements like calling Canada the 51st U.S. state or expressing intent to annex Greenland reflect the same worldview as Putin’s, who has already annexed Crimea and launched a war against the very existence of Ukraine.

These are the core elements of the admiration that Putin, whom Trump calls a “nice gentleman,” fully exploits.

Exclusively for Espreso

About the author. Kateryna Roshuk, Ukrainian political scientist and media manager.

The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by blog or column authors.