Trump’s rise to power could have been "success for Putin," - NYT
British MP Graham Stuart has stated that U.S. President Donald Trump may be a "Russian asset," and that his rise to power represents the crowning achievement of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's career.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported by The New York Times.
It is noted that, according to a number of media outlets and analysts, the events of the past month have provided yet another reason for debate regarding Trump’s foreign policy and his stance toward Russia. Following reports by the Washington Post and CNN that Russia allegedly provided Iran with coordinates for strikes against U.S. forces in the region, six U.S. reservists were killed in a drone attack in Kuwait. During a memorial service for the soldiers, Trump stated that intelligence "doesn’t help much" Tehran, comparing the situation to U.S. actions in Ukraine.
Changes in U.S. policy
Against the backdrop of these events, experts and diplomats—including those from Chatham House and the Atlantic Council—are pointing to a shift in U.S. policy. They believe that Trump is showing a tendency toward a softer stance toward Putin and is attempting to reduce obstacles to the Kremlin’s interests in Europe. At the same time, NATO allies, according to their assessments, are increasingly discussing the risks of such a policy and its impact on the Alliance’s security.
Some analysts also point to the findings of the U.S. Senate’s investigations into the 2016 election, which documented contacts between Trump’s inner circle and representatives of Russian entities. Against this backdrop, discussions in Europe regarding its own security mechanisms, including issues of nuclear deterrence, are reportedly intensifying.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Poland Daniel Fried believes that Trump generally shows greater sympathy toward authoritarian leaders than toward Western partners. Former NSDC official Fiona Hill, for her part, characterizes his relationship with Putin as an attempt to gain political recognition, which, in her view, the Russian leader could manipulate.
