Moscow is celebrating these days after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened NATO with a “crusade“ to seize Greenland, The New York Times reports.
According to analysts, "the rise of a mercantile Washington with unlimited power poses challenges for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is used to playing that role".
"This moment is both promising and dangerous for Putin. It will be difficult for him, as it will be for everyone else,“ said Fiona Hill, who headed Russian and European affairs on the White House National Security Council during the first administration of Trump.
Putin has been gaining geopolitical advantage for years, aggressively using Russian power in global affairs and taking major military and intelligence risks. The US president’s approach benefits the Russian leader as long as they get along, but otherwise threatens to limit his influence, as Washington’s global military and economic power surpasses Russia’s. Hill said:
“The United States is essentially saying, ‘We’re with you, and we’ll do the same thing you do.’” This marks a new reality for Putin. The problem for him may be that Trump will try to outdo him.”
She argues that for nearly two decades, Putin has sought to end the “unipolar world” dominated by Washington. But in a rules-free global arena where every country seeks to maximize its power, the United States has largely outmaneuvered Russia. The power Trump wields over American tech billionaires, who wield enormous influence around the world, is no match for Putin. Nor is Trump’s influence on global trade.
“It’s a kind of “be careful what you wish for”, Hill noted.
Analysts say the Russian leader appears determined to reap the benefits of Trump’s renewed ties with the United States without sacrificing his core demands on Ukraine. To do that, he has had to back down when Trump has clashed with Russian interests elsewhere.
”From Moscow’s perspective, the situation is ambiguous. Yes, it’s good to see tensions between the United States and Europe and the disintegration of the transatlantic alliance that Russia has sought for decades. “But there has to be some concern about how the United States will deploy its own military, its own economic power around the world in places where Russia has interests“, said Thomas Graham, who headed Russia policy on the White House National Security Council under President George W. Bush.
As The Atlantic reported, Trump's standoff with Europe over Greenland has given Putin plenty to gloat about. The publication noted that Trump's desire to take control of the island has diverted Europe's attention from Russia's war in Ukraine, forcing Denmark and its allies to use their military resources to defend Greenland from the United States, rather than defend themselves from the Russian threat.