In an effort to strengthen Kremlin's influence over Ukraine, weaken NATO, and solidify Russia's position as a global power, Moscow is carefully assessing Trump's messages, ambitions, and vulnerabilities, the publication reports. Russian analysts identify the American politician's weaknesses as "geopolitical naivety," "short attention span," and a "tendency to rely on intuition rather than intellect."
Furthermore, Putin has warned that Trump is supposedly not safe, hinting at the possibility of his assassination, the media states.
However, according to Joshua Huminski, Senior Vice President of the Center for Presidential Studies and Congress, Trump, "like any world leader, seeks to negotiate from a position of strength." The American politician does not want to appear "subservient" to his Russian counterpart.
The overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, in Trump's view, confirmed Russia's weakened state. He stated that "the time to act has come" and called on Putin to cease fire in Ukraine.
Following Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, Putin declared that the new world order is "already close." With the demise of the previous order, which he described as "rules-based," the "brutal and uncompromising struggle" continues.
The publication suggests that during negotiations, Putin will seek to persuade Trump to establish a new order where "there are no rules or human rights." Consequently, politicians could divide the world into spheres of influence, allowing Russia to secure control over Ukraine, Georgia, and other post-Soviet states that are not NATO members, thereby jeopardizing European security.
However, if Putin cannot reach an agreement with Trump on his terms, the Kremlin will continue to fight, as Moscow believes that Ukraine will not be able to resist for long.