Radical turnaround Behind the scenes, Trump reveals his true Putin plan
The USA is trying to detach Russia from China's sphere of influence. It's a risky endeavor that could divide the West.
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- Trump is allegedly pursuing a strategy to disengage Russia from its alliance with China and shift the geopolitical balance.
- Critics warn that the plan could fail and instead further divide the West.
- Experts see little incentive for Putin to distance himself from China, as the alliance is strategically solidified.
US President Donald Trump is aiming for a radical turnaround in foreign policy: he wants to bring Russia closer to the US - and thus detach it from the strategic partnership with China.
The idea behind this: A weakened alliance between Moscow and Beijing would shift the global balance of power in favor of the US. According to several reports, Trump is revealing this behind the scenes. However, experts warn that this plan could fail and divide the West instead.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has become strongly tied to China. In view of Western sanctions, Beijing has become economically indispensable for Moscow. The two countries are also working more closely together militarily than ever before.
Weakening the Moscow-Beijing axis
The USA is viewing this alliance with growing concern - there is a threat of an alliance that could even challenge Washington. According to a report in theWall Street Journal, Trump is now trying to break this bloc.
A quick end to the war in Ukraine could play a decisive role. According to US government representatives, Trump is aiming to end the war as quickly as possible in order to weaken the Moscow-Beijing axis.
Talks with high-ranking Russian representatives are said to have already taken place in this context. Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that there are "incredible opportunities for a geopolitical partnership with Russia".
Trump wants closer relations with the Kremlin
This aspect may also have played a role in the scandal between Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump on Friday. Trump questioned the cooperation with Kiev and hinted that the USA could focus more on its own economic interests in future.
John Bolton, Trump's former security adviser, put the problem in a nutshell: "If Trump likes someone, then we have good relations. If he doesn't like someone, we don't." Even during the election campaign, Trump made no secret of the fact that he would like to cultivate closer relations with Russia again. A few days ago, the American president then spoke directly to the Kremlin on the phone - without involving Ukraine.
"The likelihood of this succeeding is close to zero"
But how realistic is this plan? Critics draw parallels with Richard Nixon's China strategy in the 1970s, when the US deliberately exploited the division between China and the Soviet Union at the time. Today, however, the situation is different.
Moscow and Beijing have declared a "boundless friendship" and their economic, military and political interests are closely intertwined. Russia is dependent on China in many respects - for example in terms of technology and trade relations.
Former ambassador and security expert Wolfgang Ischinger expressed his skepticism to the German newspaper "Bild": "Of course it is an appealing idea to drive a wedge between China and Russia. But the likelihood of this succeeding is close to zero." CDU China expert Johannes Volkmann takes a similar view: "The idea of winning Russia as a partner for the USA against China seems to me to be wishful thinking."
Is this a purely tactical advance?
Another risk: while Trump is counting on a rapprochement with Putin, this could put a considerable strain on US relations with its European allies. Cracks are already appearing after the scandal on Friday, and Europe is sending a clear signal to the USA with its own peace summit in the UK at the weekend.
European heads of state fear that being too accommodating towards Russia could weaken the Western alliance. But, as Australian military analyst Mick Ryan writes in his latest analysis: "One can only hope that this will not become another European gabfest and that real action will follow."
Ultimately, Vladimir Putin could agree to Trump's advances for purely tactical reasons - without cutting his close ties with China. The Russian president could try to secure economic and political advantages for himself without actually alienating his most important partner. As Russia expert Alexander Gabuev points out to Bild: "Russia knows that China is its neighbor - and that the Communist Party will remain in power for a long time to come. A permanent alliance with the USA is not a realistic option for Putin."
