Recent polls show that almost 50 percent of Americans believe President Trump committed a crime or defied ethical standards regarding his alleged collusion with Russia in the 2016 elections, and that the meddling did happen. A joke going around says the Russians, not the Americans, voted, and Trump won.
But beneath the frenzy of the ongoing Mueller investigation and the noise created by partisan arguments lie questions left unasked. Why did Russia take an irrationally profound interest in the just concluded US elections? Why does it so badly want Trump to become president? What does it stand to gain if he wins, or lose if he is beaten?
Is it reasonable to assume that the Trump team coordinated with Kremlin-connected persons? The US intelligence units think so, based on high quality information they gathered. In April 2016, at the peak of the presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee discovered that its computer system had been hacked, and informed the FBI. As early as October 2016, Homeland Security issued a memo to state and local election officers exhorting them to be extra vigilant in guarding their computer systems because they had proof of hackings and cyberattacks perpetrated by Russian-identified groups.
But what escapes the awareness of most people is, it is not so much Russia the country that is bent on getting Trump elected, as it is its president Vladimir Putin. And it isn’t particularly Trump who should win but any opponent against the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, preferably someone dumb enough to be ordered around and influenced. Trump fits the bill perfectly, thus being assured of Kremlin’s wholehearted support. Add to that the president’s business dealings with Russian individuals and companies that preceded his occupancy in the White House, Donald Trump is Putin’s perfect choice for America’s chief executive.
What about Hillary? Putin would have left no stone unturned to have her defeated. He already hated then president Obama for his sanctions against Putin-friendly individuals and companies when Russia annexed Crimea and invaded eastern Ukraine. The sanctions contributed to the ruble’s collapse that led to the current financial situation. Obama’s heir apparent Clinton is, to Putin, worse.
He blamed Clinton, who was then Obama’s Secretary of State, for inciting the opposition to protest the 2011 election results that saw his party claiming the majority seats in the legislative branch. A few days after the votes were counted, thousands of rallyists took to the streets to denounce the attendant fraud and extensive corruption of government officials.
In Trump, Russia saw a friendly shift in US foreign policy and the possible easing of sanctions. As the deadline nears for new sanctions against the communist nation for its interference in the US elections, Putin can persuade Trump to create delays and obstacles to implementation, giving the targeted companies and individuals time to form other businesses.
Putin fully understands how to work the president. His 16 years as a KGB agent had trained him well. He knows that forging closer ties with narcissistic personalities like Trump necessitates a lot of effusive praising and constant paying of homage on his part. By playing his cards right, he can influence Trump to overturn some sanctions without Congress’ approval. These are the sanctions that were put in place through executive orders by the previous president. A lifting of these bans will have a tremendous positive effect on Russia’s crippled economy. In return, Putin can open up business concessions in his country to Trump and his children and cronies.
The Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that Obama confiscated in December of last year is another reason Putin is seeking friendlier relations with Trump. The properties were suspected of being used for espionage and intelligence-related activities regarding the Russian meddling. The current administration is inclined to give back the properties to Russia and it only needs a little push from Kremlin to accomplish that goal.
National security officials are anxiously watching the growing friendship between the two leaders, knowing that it is Russia which has much to gain from it. Geopolitical policies involving Syria, Ukraine and the Middle East may take a dramatic shift, exposing the US to international criticism and ridicule. The stakes are high, and President Trump is not only unaware of it, he also will not heed his advisers’ warnings. Putin is a shrewd and cunning president. While Trump is in power, he will exploit the present circumstances and Americans will be none the better for it.
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