“Trump is Soft on Russia.” The refrain echoed for years—in the media, on elite university campuses, and throughout the professional class. It was accepted as dogma: Trump overly accommodated Russia. And frequently, to explain this dogmatic conclusion, the informed and well-to-do relied on naked conspiracy. Trump must be a Russian puppet, they said.
Yet, when you discard the dogma and the conspiracy, and consider the actual policies Trump pursued—especially relative to the policies Biden is pursuing—a pointed fact becomes apparent: Trump was notably “harder” on Russia than Biden.
Certainly, Trump’s rhetoric toward Russia, and its leader, Vladimir Putin, was more laudatory than the DC foreign policy establishment preferred. Trump often praised Putin and once suggested that even if Putin was a murderer, US history at home and abroad was comparably ruthless. For the Commander-in-Chief to repeatedly make such comments was not strategically helpful. But when you push past the rhetoric, you should recognize that the Trump administration aggressively balanced against Russia—to the detriment of US interests.
Trump consistently strengthened sanctions against Russia. He opposed Nord Stream 2; the gas pipeline project created to carry Russian gas to German markets. He approved the sale of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine (for use against Russian tanks), something the Obama administration—which was continuously trying to reset relations with Russia—declined to do.
There’s more.
Trump increased troop levels in Eastern Europe. He pulled the US out of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). He did not extend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). He launched missile strikes against Syria (Russia’s Middle Eastern satellite). Trump then left a US troop presence in Northeastern Syria despite Russia’s protests.
Trump was not “soft” on Russia. Not at all. Rather, the Trump administration acted as if Russia (with it’s Italy-sized GDP) posed an existential threat to Europe.
Yet, for the four years Trump pursued these recklessly aggressive policies toward Russia, the American public could not turn on the news without encountering some feckless windbag declaring that Trump was helping Russia…might even be a Russian puppet…hard to tell…seems like only explanation for his behavior…this is why Putin got him elected…it’s a crisis for democracy really…probably the end of Europe as we know it…such a shame…unprecedented.
Curiously, the media has not expressed similar concerns about the Biden administration, despite Biden’s relaxed approach to Russia.
The Biden administration, wisely choosing to focus on Asia, has shifted Russia to the backburner. Seeking to reduce tension in Eastern Europe, Biden recently extended START. He also waived sanctions on companies building the Nord Stream 2, thereby enabling its construction. Biden also enjoyed a friendly meeting with Putin in Geneva—a diplomatic performance that, had it come from Trump, would have had CNN leading straight-faced with: Trump a Russian Agent, report to follow.
There are a few takeaways here.
One, rhetoric should not be confused with policy. The Trump administration took a perplexingly hardline approach to Russia, despite the significant dangers (and minimal benefits) associated with escalation. Yet, oddly, Trump was accused of being “soft” on Russia, which perhaps (given his thin-skin and gluttonous media consumption), encouraged him to take a harder line towards Russia (to the detriment of US security interests). Since the media’s “experts” and “analysts” seemingly won’t, the public must consciously decouple rhetoric from policy. Remember: actions speak louder than words.
Two, the Biden administration should be praised for its relaxed stance toward Russia. Biden will occasionally have to pay lip service to the ubiquitous Russia-hawks, who think it’s 1963 or something. But generally, Biden is aligning US policy with actual security interests—namely, more peaceful relations with a hollowed-out country sitting on a stockpile of over 6,000 nuclear weapons.
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