Author: Fiona Hill
Affiliation: Brookings Institution
Organization/Publisher: Foreign Affairs
Date/Place: Nov/Dec 2021/USA
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 5146
Link: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-09-27/kremlins-strange-victory
Keywords: Putin, Trump, Russian
Brief:
The writer talks about the relationship that brought Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Trump won the US elections in 2016. When he was elected, Putin and the Kremlin did not attempt to hide their happiness. Trump fulfills the aspirations of the Kremlin: in their view, he is a populist, an originalist with no previous foreign policy experience, and a vast, fragile egotist. Putin has paved the way that Trump followed during his four years in office. At times, the writer finds that Trump and Putin’s similarities have been overwhelming in their joint manipulation and exploitation of the domestic media. In addition, they share many of the same enemies: global and liberal elites. Trump abused power by attempting to force the government of Ukraine to discredit one of his fiercest opponents, Joe Biden, before the 2020 presidential election. Likewise, Putin is intimidating, marginalizing, defusing or defeating any opposition to his rule. For the United States, China (not Russia) poses the most significant foreign policy challenge of the twenty-first century, along with the pressing existential threats of climate change and global pandemics. The writer believes that Biden must do everything in his power to restore confidence in the government and promote fairness, equity, and justice. Democracy does not reform itself.
By: Taqwa Abu Kmeil, CIGA Research Assistant
