"The United States is now becoming Russia's ally." On October 18th local time, the US magazine "Atlantic Monthly" published an article titled with this as a subject, claiming that US President Trump is publicly helping Russia and abandoning the long-standing Western security order led by the US.
The author of this article is Tom Nichols, a contributor to The Atlantic Monthly and a U.S. national security commentator.
Nichols stated in the article that Trump signed a Russian sanctions bill in September, which received support from both parties in Congress. However, just two days before the bill took effect, Trump suddenly announced a suspension of its implementation, citing that such actions were in the interests of the United States. Previously, Trump also relaxed restrictions on Russian diesel entering the United States and other markets.
This decision has sparked rare cross-party criticism in American politics. Republican Senator Ted Cruz called it a “mistake,” and conservative commentator Andy McCarthy even accused Trump of providing assistance to Putin, calling for an immediate hearing by Congress.
Nichols believes that Trump's decision is not based on national security considerations, but is influenced by domestic oil prices, the mid-term elections, and his personal relationships with Putin and Zelensky.
The article also mentioned that Trump explained on social media that he did not want to take actions that could drive Russia out of the negotiating table. He also stated that Russia’s current assistance to Iran is quite limited, and he hopes to maintain this situation.
Nichols said that Trump was actually asking all sectors of American society to avoid provoking Putin, rather than applying pressure to Russia.
He also warned at the end of his article that as Washington's policies shift, Ukraine will rely more on European aid in the future. Nichols said that the White House and the Kremlin are on the same side, something that used to exist only in political thrillers, but now it has become reality in his eyes.
