Trump Says United States Has No Place Criticizing Putin

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In The Media

Trump Says United States Has No Place Criticizing Putin

The Trump administration desires a new modus vivendi with Moscow, but the real focus should be managing the relationship with Russia rather than promising a dramatic breakthrough.

By Andrew S. Weiss

Published on Feb 6, 2017

Source: KCRW’s To The Point

In a much-promoted interview with Bill O’Reilly on Fox News, U.S. President Trump once again confounded fellow Republicans, not just by defending Vladimir Putin, but by his characterization of the United States. Carnegie’s Andrew Weiss explained that Trump’s equivocation puts the GOP in the difficult position of having to explain what the president really means:

“The Republican Party is in a real jam at the moment because they keep having to interpret exactly what President Trump is saying. A lot of this is motivated by the Trump adminsitration’s desire to have a new modus vivendi with Moscow in fighting ISIL. I think the real focus for this administration should be managing the relationship with Russia instead of promising a dramatic breakthrough.”

This segment first appeared on KCRW’s To The Point.

About the Author

Andrew S. Weiss

James Family Chair, Vice President for Studies

Andrew S. Weiss is the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he oversees research on Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. His graphic novel biography of Vladimir Putin, Accidental Czar: the Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin, was published by First Second/Macmillan in 2022.

Recent Work

Research
Russia in Africa: Examining Moscow’s Influence and Its Limits
- +11
  Frances Z. Brown, Nate Reynolds, Priyal Singh, …
Other
Unpacking Trump’s National Security Strategy
- +18
  James M. Acton, Saskia Brechenmacher, Cecily Brewer, …

Political Reform Foreign Policy North America United States Russia

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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