Decoding Trump's "strategic kindness" toward Russia

US President Donald Trump. Photo: AP

President Trump has taken strong action to prove that the accusations of his critics – that he is too close to Russia and President Vladimir Putin – are nonsense.

On August 8, the Trump administration announced it would impose tough trade sanctions on Russia in response to the alleged poisoning attempt to assassinate former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK. These new US sanctions, scheduled to take effect on August 22, will prohibit American companies from exporting technology and other national security equipment to companies owned or financed by the Russian government.

A US State Department official revealed that these sanctions could affect 70% of the Russian economy and 40% of its workforce.

In relation to this issue, Xinhua News Agency commented on August 9th that these new sanctions could overshadow the faint hopes for improved US-Russia relations following the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki, Finland, in July.

The agency quoted Vladimir Vasilyev from the Institute for American and Canadian Studies as saying that Washington's move means the two countries are "slipping into an economic war" and bilateral relations are heading towards an "irreversible point."

According to Russian political scientist Yevgeny Minchenko, it is important for US officials to demonstrate that they are tougher on Russia than the Obama administration.

Is Trump pushing Russia into a corner?

The Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki, Finland, in July. Photo: Getty

To demonstrate that the Trump administration is not afraid to confront Russia when necessary, a senior White House official told Fox News: “To anyone who thinks this administration is soft on Russia, I would say this: look at what we’ve done, look at our actions… This administration is really using Reagan’s policy when it comes to controlling Moscow.”

Fox News commented: These new sanctions show that Trump will not give Putin a "green card" because of his unacceptable actions.

The good news is that America now knows how to deal with the leadership of an arrogant Russia: by refusing to back down and restraining their most intense outbursts of anger until they feel sufficiently damaged. This worked for the Reagan administration and will now work for the Trump administration.

These new sanctions should be seen as part of a larger policy shift aimed at ensuring that Russia truly understands that it will pay a heavy price whenever it attacks the West, NATO allies, or any of America's partners.

Anyone who has studied history will know that this policy was originally known as a containment policy towards the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War. Now, thanks to Trump, this policy is putting Putin on the spot.

If you pay attention, you'll see plenty of evidence showing that the Trump administration has taken strong action. First, Trump and his team have "cleaned up" what the Obama administration left behind regarding the Ukraine issue.

While Obama hesitated, wavered, spoke ambiguously, and pondered the issue without taking any effective action, Trump is acting correctly by providing weapons to Ukraine – something that should have been done years ago.

Don't be surprised if Trump pushes Ukraine to become a NATO member – something Russia considers its worst nightmare. Furthermore, if there are criticisms of Trump for criticizing NATO members regarding their defense spending for the sake of their own defense, the alliance is now gradually increasing its budget and overall capabilities thanks to Trump's demands to counter Russia.

If one day NATO countries have to take down the "Russian bear" in the Baltic, the Black Sea, or elsewhere, they will need "weapons" to deter and defeat any aggressive actions by Russia. And all of this is because Trump has instructed them not to "leech off" on "Uncle Sam" (i.e., the US).

Regarding the Syrian issue, Trump has demonstrated that he will not allow allies backed by Russia to escape punishment for mass murder. When Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against civilians, Trump did not stand idly by, but ordered airstrikes to make Assad pay the price.

Internal conflicts exist within the US regarding policy toward Russia.

However, to be fair, it's true that the Trump team's approach to Russia has sometimes caused considerable frustration among members of the foreign policy-making team in Washington. Whether right or wrong, Trump has a penchant for flattering adversaries, sometimes praising them, sometimes speaking in a way that's almost "sweet-talking." But is it true that, at this point, Trump's policy toward Russia remains unclear?

Politicians shaping foreign policy need to understand that Trump can smile at America's adversaries while simultaneously taking action to undermine them and pursue national interests.

It is not a mistake to assume that flattery is a weakness. The art of smart foreign policy lies in understanding that you need to work with authoritarian and tyrannical leaders you dislike.

Trump may not have a PhD in political science from Harvard University, but he knows what to do with people nobody likes or respects.