Does Trump like Russia? (3)

"This article is solely a personal opinion and aims to discuss current affairs without involving legal issues or sensitive political positions."

The combination of strategic necessity and Trump’s personal affinity is what has led to his seemingly pro-Russian stance.

Among these factors, America’s strategic needs are the most decisive. Compared to a century ago, today’s United States is roughly equivalent to the British Empire of that time, Russia is in a position similar to Germany back then, and China is essentially a stronger version of the former United States.

Back then, Britain first pursued appeasement and later took a hardline stance, ultimately losing its global empire. The United States today, under Biden’s initially aggressive approach, has only pushed Russia and China closer together.

Now, imagine if Germany and the United States had aligned a century ago—it would have been a nightmare for the British Empire. For the U.S. today, mere strategic retrenchment is not enough; it must also dismantle the Sino-Russian alliance. Trump understands very well that Russia is only a visible challenge, but China is America’s true and long-term threat.

China not only seeks to extract America’s technological and industrial jewels but also possesses the capability to fundamentally reshape the global order that the U.S. dominates. Facing such a rival, pushing Russia entirely into China’s camp would be a disaster.

China and Russia are too complementary—Siberian oil and natural gas flow into China through pipelines, transforming into gasoline, diesel, kerosene, plastics, synthetic fibers, asphalt, and other chemical products. Russia’s state nuclear corporation supplies enriched uranium to China’s Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant, supporting the trillion-dollar industrial belt of the Yangtze River Delta.

For China, Russia is like an ultimate energy booster. The U.S. is already struggling to contain China—if China gains Russia as an economic and strategic ally, how could the U.S. ever win?

Trump follows a strategic retrenchment approach similar to that of George Kennan—not to let adversaries grow stronger together, but to turn them against each other. That’s why Trump is willing to "flatter" Russia in an attempt to drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing.

It may seem embarrassing for Trump to grovel before Putin, but for the sake of breaking up China and Russia, he is willing to do it. Thus, when Trump boasted in the White House about his excellent relationship with Putin, the businessman-turned-president was executing one of his most successful strategic performances.

This affinity for Russia is a mix of his business instincts, opportunistic adaptability, and a bold attempt to reshape the world order. His ever-changing political maneuvers reveal the ultimate truth of great power politics: there are no eternal enemies—only eternal interests.

In short, Trump’s ability to become the U.S. president is no coincidence—he’s got real political skills. Let’s see if he can make America great again!