Andrei Kolesnikov is a political scientist and columnist for the Russian version of Novaya Gazetaone of the few media outlets still critical of the Kremlin in Moscow. Lives and works in Russia.
For Vladimir Putin, who denies having spoken by phone with Donald Trump two days after his election, is the return of his “friend” to the White House good news?
Vladimir Putin wants to show that he does not depend on Donald Trump. That is why he denies the very existence of this telephone interview that supposedly took place on November 7. For this reason, during an important conference in Russia that same day, he did not mention the president-elect during the first three hours of his speech. The head of the Kremlin has become convinced that he must demonstrate his independence from any American influence.
Before his audience in Russia, he wants to present himself as the world czar: Trump is important, but he is even more important. The rest doesn’t matter to him: it’s a state of mind he wants to portray. In the United States the message is the same: “If you want to suggest a peace proposal in Ukraine, you can send it to me; I will receive you with great pleasure; but I am the one who decides when and how I should behave. »
For him, the election of Donald Trump is good news and bad news. On the one hand, he feels close to the president-elect and his conservative and conspiratorial positions. But, on the other hand, Donald Trump’s unpredictability poses a problem for him, because it can undermine Moscow’s discourse and policy towards Washington. The Kremlin wants to maintain a Cold War climate. The hand extended by Donald Trump revolutionizes this tactic. Nobody uncorked the champagne in the Kremlin on November 5 [date du scrutin présidentiel américain]. And I highly doubt that Vladimir Putin will agree to meet with Donald Trump soon after his inauguration on January 20. [2025]for a great public spectacle of reconciliation. Initially, the resumption of contacts will take place informally, behind the scenes. Donald Trump and his new administration could also quickly reduce aid to kyiv, but this remains uncertain and the effects difficult to measure.
During the BRICS summit, held from October 22 to 24 in the Russian city of Kazan, Vladimir Putin presented himself as the leader of the new anti-Western world. Is this a way to escape international isolation?
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