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Podcast Episode
Carnegie Politika

Can Trump Drive a Wedge Between Russia and China? With David Rennie and Yanmei Xie

Podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Yanmei Xie, an independent researcher, and David Rennie, the geopolitics editor at The Economist, to discuss the theory behind the recent pivot in U.S. foreign policy toward Russia.

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By Alexander Gabuev, Yanmei Xie, David Rennie
Published on Mar 13, 2025

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Carnegie Politika

Carnegie Politika is a digital publication that features unmatched analysis and insight on Russia, Ukraine and the wider region. For nearly a decade, Carnegie Politika has published contributions from members of Carnegie’s global network of scholars and well-known outside contributors and has helped drive important strategic conversations and policy debates.

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What is the reason for the sudden change of heart in U.S. policy on Russia under the Trump administration? One theory is that Donald Trump is trying to lure Russia out of China’s sphere of influence and drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing, a move described by some as a “reverse Kissinger.” How accurate is that theory, and does the U.S. administration have the instruments needed to pry China and Russia apart?

Hosted by

Alexander Gabuev
Director, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Alexander Gabuev

Featuring

Yanmei Xie

Yanmei Xie is a geopolitics analyst at Gavekal Research. She previously worked as a journalist in Washington, covering U.S. national politics, and as a senior analyst at International Crisis Group.

David Rennie
Geopolitics Editor and The Telegram Columnist, The Economist
David Rennie

Carnegie 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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