WASHINGTON, November 1 — Donald Trump has made clear his affection for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who, in his own way, has returned the favor. But if Trump returns to the White House, their divergent interests could further complicate relations.

Ahead of Tuesday’s close election, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, emphasized Trump’s long history with Putin, telling a rally Tuesday that the Russian leader and other strongmen “support” Trump , knowing that it was “easy”. handle with flattery and favor.

Trump has repeatedly praised Putin, whose hyper-masculine style and outspoken commitment to traditional values ​​are increasingly finding favor with some American Christian conservatives.

At a rally in March, Trump praised Putin as “smart” but also criticized his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, saying sending troops to the border had been “a hell of a way to negotiate ”, but that this entry was a “great challenge”. error” which didn’t go well.

The Republican tycoon nonetheless thought Russia would win in the end and mocked the billions of dollars in U.S. aid sent to Ukraine under Presidents Joe Biden and Harris.

Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, went so far as to say that he doesn’t care about what happens in Ukraine, believing that the United States should instead focus on confronting China.

Trump has boasted that he can quickly end the war in Ukraine, with aides suggesting forcing Ukraine into territorial concessions by conditioning U.S. aid.

He called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a big “salesman.” When Zelensky requested a meeting with Trump in September, Trump told the warlord that he had “very good relations” with Putin.

A new book by investigative journalist Bob Woodward claims that Trump and Putin may have spoken as many as seven times during Biden’s presidency, and that Trump, while in office, secretly sent the Russian leader Covid tests then rare.

“Vladimir, let’s talk about it”

Putin said in September with a wry smile that he supported Harris, support that virtually no one believed.

Former president and Putin ally Dmitry Medvedev recently praised Trump for blaming the war on Zelensky, while doubting the Republican would change the U.S. position.

“It is clear that Trump is Russia’s preference, whatever they say,” said Russian political scientist Konstantin Kalachov.

“Trump clearly wants to negotiate and there is no love between him and Zelensky,” he said.

Trump was first impeached in 2019 for delaying aid to Ukraine while pressuring Zelensky to dig up the Biden family.

In one of the most criticized moments of his tumultuous 2017-2021 presidency, Trump, during a joint news conference, appeared to take the Russian leader’s word over US intelligence assessments that Russia had attempted to tilt the 2016 elections in his favor.

Leon Aron, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, expects that Trump, if elected, would quickly seek another summit with Putin.

Based on Trump’s past behavior and statements, “I think the first step will be a very dramatic sort of personal diplomacy: ‘Vladimir, let’s talk about this.’ We could solve this problem.

But Aron said he was less certain that Putin, whoever he prefers as U.S. president, would change his policies.

“Putin has made global opposition to the United States the key to his domestic legitimacy and popularity,” Aron said. “He now proclaims himself and his country heirs to the Soviet Union: a great superpower. »

“This policy will therefore continue strategically. Putin cannot change this without changing the regime,” he said.

Putin would happily agree to a quick deal with Ukraine if it validates the land seizure and allows Russian troops to stay. But Trump would then face pressure from the American public, Congress and perhaps his own advisers, who would view him as negotiating a bad deal, Aron said.

“I think his macho image would argue against accepting a defeat of American interests in Ukraine. » -AFP