Source: Russia Today

Carnegie Endowment’s Dmitri Trenin discussed his hopes and outlook for Barack Obama’s presidency in the context of U.S.-Russian relations on Russia Today. Trenin predicts that while there will be an element of change in U.S. policy towards Russia, it will be tempered by an element of continuity as well.

Trenin stressed that Obama’s presidency will mainly alter U.S. foreign policy by embodying “pragmatism with values” instead of “ideology with dogma.” While this will be a welcome change, Trenin argued that people around the world, and especially people in Russia should, “stop thinking of the U.S. as the czar of the world that needs to be toppled.” Instead, Trenin said, “The United States of America represents, I would say, the most important outside resource for any country that wants transformation and modernization, and a smart and clever and intelligent above all Russian government or administration should be able to seize upon that chance.”