THREAD: The will-they-or-won’t-they back and forth over Trump and Putin’s G-20 meeting is the latest data point illustrating their unprecedented closeness. themoscowproject.org/dispatch/updat…
In just the last week, we’ve seen:
-Trump refuse to condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine
-Reports that the Trump Organization wanted to give Putin a $50 million penthouse
-Evidence of secret plans for Trump to visit Putin during the 2016 election
buzzfeednews.com/article/anthon…
-Trump refuse to condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine
-Reports that the Trump Organization wanted to give Putin a $50 million penthouse
-Evidence of secret plans for Trump to visit Putin during the 2016 election
buzzfeednews.com/article/anthon…
With that in mind, we’ve updated our report, “Putin’s Payout: 10 Ways Trump has Supported Putin’s Foreign Policy Agenda.” Here’s the full list: themoscowproject.org/reports/putins…
1. Trump has weakened and divided the transatlantic alliance, undermining U.S. relationships with European allies and calling into question the US’s commitment to NATO.
2. Trump has degraded the European Union and fostered pro-Russian political movements, attacking the EU and actively supporting pro-Kremlin parties and politicians.
3. Trump has disrupted American leadership of the global economic order, eagerly pushing for an all-out trade war with Europe.
4. Trump has built global resentment and distrust toward the US, making America’s closest allies suspicious because of Trump’s rhetoric and actions.
5. Trump has relieved economic and domestic political pressure on Russia, attempting to roll back, impede, and blunt the impact of sanctions.
6. Trump has helped legitimize Putin’s regime in the eyes of the world, praising and defending Putin, lending the weight of the US presidency to provide validation for Putin’s cause.
7. Trump has helped Russia revive its status as a great power and gain international recognition for its illegal seizure of Crimea, saying that Crimea is or should be part of Russia and refusing to condemn Putin’s actions there.
8. Trump has enabled Putin to continue sowing discord in Western democracies, dismissing the evidence of Russian interference and doing nothing to prevent future attacks.
9. Trump has softened America’s adversarial stance toward Russia, shifting the Republican Party’s generations-long hawkish views toward the country.
10. Trump has helped Putin destabilize the US from within, attacking US institutions while driving divisive politics and eroding democratic norms.
Underneath the occasional posturing and general chaos, then, one reality is increasingly clear: The White House has demonstrated a clear pattern of advancing Russia’s foreign policy objectives. themoscowproject.org/reports/putins…
