Despite Trump's hopes, US-Russia relations are getting chilly
Washington (CNN)In the space of a week, the Trump administration has named Russia a "rival power," sanctioned a close Putin ally, and decided to give Ukraine anti-tank weapons to help in its fight against Moscow-backed militias.
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It's a series of steps that has been paired with tougher rhetoric from the State Department about Moscow's destabilizing activities in eastern Ukraine, and serious charges from the Pentagon that Russia is intentionally violating de-confliction agreements in Syria.
The slew of actions highlights a decided turn away from the warmer, more cooperative relationship with Russia that President Donald Trump called for during his campaign and early in his presidency.
As Trump nears the one-year mark in office, a number of factors have intruded on those plans. He has been hemmed in by the domestic political constraint of an ongoing investigation into Russia's interference with the 2016 election, as well as a widespread distrust of Russia and its continuing cyber activities that persists among the intelligence community, diplomats, the Pentagon and lawmakers.
'Pretty confrontational'
Those close to Trump who advocated for more cooperation with Moscow have been shown the White House door. And national security positions across the administration are now staffed with people, including at the Cabinet level, who have expressed more cautious and traditional views of Russia.
"We're a year in, and it's looking like we've settled on a Russia policy and that Russia policy is pretty confrontational," said Matt Rojansky, director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center. "It's definitely not the policy you would have expected from Trump the candidate. I think even the Russians understand the idea of a rapprochement is off the table."
Moreover, Rojansky adds, the signs point to increasing tensions in 2018. "There's drama ahead," he said.
The State Department announced the decision to provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities" on December 22, just days after the administration had announced it would permit Ukraine to buy some small arms from US manufacturers.
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The same day, the Pentagon accused Russia of intentionally violating an agreement intended to prevent accidents in the skies over Syria, following a recent unsafe encounter between US F-22s and Russian Su-25 jets.
"Russia is failing to genuinely de-conflict airspace in Syria. Some of these incidents are not mistakes," Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Dana W. White told CNN. Defense Secretary James Mattis told reporters, "I don't expect perfection, but I don't expect dangerous maneuvers, either."
The decision to send arms to Ukraine, long sought by leaders there and backed by many in Congress, comes as violent clashes between Ukrainian soldiers and Russian-backed separatists have increased. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Saturday that with the move, the US was "pushing [Ukraine] to new bloodshed."
"The United States, in a certain sense, had crossed the line," Ryabkov said, from acting as an intermediary to "fueling the war." The US weapons could lead to "new victims in our neighboring country, to which we cannot remain indifferent," the foreign minister warned.
The State Department said in a statement that the assistance, which an official told CNN would include Javelin anti-tank missiles, is "entirely defensive in nature" and that the US remains committed to the Minsk agreements, a roadmap for resolving the conflict.
Credit: The BBC