Risk of Russia, US confrontation increasing, report warns

RELATIONS between the United States and Russia have dived to their worst levels since the end of the Cold War, a new report has claimed.
The US-Russia relationship today was in a deep crisis that the world had every reason to be worried about, according to the Lowy Institute’s nonresident fellow Dr Bobo Lo, as the chance of a direct confrontation had increased significantly.

The two countries were engaged in a bitter and paranoid period of global tension – known as the Cold War – that divided the world for more than four decades, as friction between East and West escalated.

A new report released today, An accident waiting to happen: Trump, Putin and the US – Russia relationship, revealed how relations between Washington and Moscow were more problematic and acrimonious than at any time since tensions started to thaw in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

The election of US President Donald Trump, Putin’s aggressive conduct in foreign policy, sanctions against Moscow, and clashing interests had helped to sour relations further during the past nine months, Dr Lo said.
An escalating war of words between Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un also fuelled the US and Russia divide.

Trump had threatened to destroy North Korea while Russia, an ally and neighbour which shares a border with the kingdom, called for calm and warned military action would be catastrophic.

Written by Dr Lo, who is also an associate research fellow with the Russia/NIS Center at the French Institute of International Relations, the paper examined the issues both countries had faced since Mr Trump’s election last year.

The 27-page report revealed while there were initial hopes that Trump’s victory would “lead to a new quality of engagement”, the question now was whether “Moscow and Washington can manage their many differences and avoid a dangerous escalation of tensions.”

It goes on to highlight that signs aren’t looking good for a turnaround in frosty relations.
Dr Lo notes the dysfunctionality of the Trump administration was also threatening to create fresh crises and aggravate existing issues between the two countries.

“The best-case scenario for the relationship in the short to medium term may be one of mutual containment, reminiscent of the Cold War,” Dr Lo wrote.
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