... Prospects for Russian-American Relations in the New US Political Cycle
Such targeted measures are routine, quite expected and likely. The Treasury will routinely expand “black lists” in other key areas of the sanctions policy—Iran, North Korea, Cuba, China, as well as functional topics—terrorism, the fight against drug trafficking, human rights, etc.
However, all these restrictions are based or will be based on already-existing legal mechanisms. Joe Biden and Congress have yet to create new sanctions regimes. And here, in all likelihood, a certain revision of the existing policy lies ahead. It is unlikely to lead to radical qualitative changes in all azimuths, but a correction of important details ...
... entourage are ready to do that, and Washington-Beijing relations will remain complicated and tense. Even more importantly, just as Donald Trump saw repeatedly throughout the four years of his presidency that it was impossible to tear Russia away from China, Joe Biden will repeatedly see that China cannot be torn away from Russia. Beijing needs Moscow regardless of the current state of and prospects for China-US relations. Under the current circumstances a version of “dual containment” appears to be the ...
... Kissinger understood the critical importance of keeping Eurasia divided better than anyone else did. He was more efficient than any US leader before him in exploiting the growing rifts between Beijing and Moscow back in early 1970s.
Can President-elect Joe Biden repeat Kissinger's success and resurrect the US-China-Russia triangle with the US at the top of it? Of course, almost 50 years have passed since the famous trip of Kissinger to Beijing in July of 1971. The world today is definitely very different from the world of the 20th century. The former bedrock ...
... but also, to a lesser degree, against China.
Amid the standoff with Beijing, a Biden administration would probably seek to expand its alliances and establish new partners in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Though such a policy would target China, it would also indirectly affect Russia, as it would likely accelerate the move toward a bipolar international system, increasing Moscow’s dependence on Beijing, with all the ensuing consequences.
Andrey Kortunov:
President Joe Biden and Russia
This is not to say, however, that nothing good for Moscow could come of a Biden presidency and strengthened transatlantic cooperation. Improved ties with the EU could rein in some of the destructive impulses coming out of Washington ...
... Washington-Beijing relations will remain complicated and tense.
Andrey Kortunov:
President Joe Biden and Russia
Second, just like Donald Trump saw time and again throughout the four years of his presidency that “it was impossible to tear Russia away from China," Joe Biden will time and again see that China cannot be "torn away" from Russia. Moscow needs Beijing regardless of the current state of and prospects for China-U.S. relations. China's leadership will be happy to act as an arbiter or "balancer" ...
... political class. Under President Biden, the US will continue to be divided along many lines, and these divisions will continue to be a major obstacle on the way to a coherent, consistent and long-term strategy toward the world in general — and toward China in particular.
Andrey Kortunov:
President Joe Biden and Russia
Many in Russia believe that a protracted US-China confrontation meets Russia's foreign policy interests since this confrontation raises the importance of Moscow for Beijing and makes China more interested in further strengthening ...
