Friend, Enemy, or Frenemy? With relations between the U.S. and Russia at their lowest point in

decades, President Donald Trump has called for improving ties. But can Russian leader Vladimir Putin be trusted? BY MICHAEL WINES

RUSSIA

12 APRIL 24, 2017

Will President Donald Trump be able to work with Russian President

Vladimir Putin (left)?

INTERNATIONAL Foreign Policy • Map Skills

offer a chance for a “reset” of U.S.-Russia relations. But

some experts say the interests of the two countries are

very different. That may make it hard for the two strong-

willed leaders to cooperate without eventually clashing.

A LONG-STANDING RIVALRYRussia was once part of the Soviet

Union, the massive country that

was America’s rival during the

Cold War (1947-1991). During that

time, the two superpowers strug-

gled over which would dominate.

The Soviets and their allies were

trying to spread Communism

around the world. The U.S. and its

allies tried to spread democracy.

In 1962, tensions reached a

high point. During the Cuban

Missile Crisis that year, the U.S. and the Soviet Union

came to the edge of nuclear war. (See “Timeline: The U.S.

& Russia,” pp. 14-15.)

Over the next few decades, the fortunes of the two old

foes went in different directions. The U.S. economy

THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA do not have much

in common. The U.S. is the world’s oldest democracy. It

has a long history of defending the independence of

other nations. Russia has an authoritarian government

that clamps down on its critics. It recently invaded the

neighboring nation of Ukraine. For most of the past

century, the U.S. and Russia have

teetered between mutual mistrust

and planet-threatening nuclear

confrontation.

Today, Russia stands accused

of meddling in the 2016 U.S. pres-

idential election by hacking into

the emails of Democratic Party

officials. Yet since taking office,

President Donald Trump has

seemed set on forgetting the past.

He has talked of becoming friends

with Russia and its autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin.

Trump has praised Putin on Twitter, calling him “highly

respected” and “very smart.” Some of Trump’s other pub-

lic statements have also pleased Russia. He has said, for

example, that America’s commitment to defending its

European allies from hostile acts by

Russia may not be set in stone.

Putin has returned the favor,

describing Trump as “very

talented.” He also arranged praise

for him in Russia’s state-controlled

media. In phone calls after

Trump’s election, the two presi-

dents set an ambitious plan for

cooperation. They discussed

working together on terrorism,

Syria’s civil war, the Arab-Israeli

peace process, and the threat of

nuclear programs in Iran and

North Korea.

Such talk of teamwork is an

incredible turn of events. In recent

years, the relationship between the

U.S. and Russia had sunk very low.

Many experts feared that any new

misunderstanding could trigger an

international crisis, or worse.

Trump’s embrace of Putin could Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly praised U.S. President Donald Trump. But does Putin really want to improve relations with the U.S.?

13

The U.S. and Russia have teetered

between mutual mistrust and

planet-threatening nuclear confrontation.

GO TO JUNIOR.SCHOLASTIC.COM TO: View Leveled Text // Watch a Video // Download a Primary Source Activity

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14 APRIL 24, 2017

grew and prospered. The Soviet Union’s weakened. In

1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and broke up into 15

independent nations. (See “Mapping the Former Soviet

Union,” p. 17.) Russia was the largest and most powerful

of the former Soviet republics. It

seemed to be headed for democ-

racy. For a short time, it even

seemed like Russia and the U.S.

might become allies.

But that was not to be. Russia

had no experience with democ-

racy. (Autocratic czars, or

emperors, had ruled the nation for

350 years before the 1917 Commu-

nist revolution.) The 1990s were a

decade of chaos. Prices sky rocketed

and the economy crashed. Many

Russians were left in poverty and

lost faith in the idea of democracy.

Before the Soviet Union’s collapse, Putin worked for

that country’s spy agency, the KGB. In 1999, he came to

power in Russia, promising security and prosperity. By

then, many Russians welcomed the thought of a new

strongman leading them.

PUTIN’S RISE & RECENT TENSIONSSince then, Putin has become an all-powerful figure. He

has gradually eliminated any serious opposition. Life

has improved for many Russians, mainly because of

global demand for Russia’s oil. In many cities, a new

middle class can sip Starbucks lattes and buy Nike

sneakers. But more than a few of Putin’s critics and

political rivals have been imprisoned. In some cases,

they were killed in murders that

are still unsolved.

Under Putin, Russia continued

to have a frosty relationship with

the U.S. In 2014, the U.S. sup-

ported a revolution in Ukraine,

Russia’s neighbor. That revolt

overthrew a government that Rus-

sia was supporting. Russia then

invaded Ukraine and seized con-

trol of the Crimean Peninsula. (See

map, p. 17.)

U.S. President Barack Obama

and leaders of other Western

countries responded by imposing

economic sanctions (penalties) on Russia. Those sanc-

tions, together with the plummeting price of oil, caused

a sharp economic decline in Russia.

The U.S. and Russia have also clashed over Syria’s civil

war. The U.S. sent aid to the rebels fighting the Syrian

government. That angered Putin because Syria’s govern-

ment, led by brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad, is Russia’s

closest ally in the Middle East.

In 2015, Russia sent its military to Syria. There, Rus-

sian forces attacked the rebels and bombed civilian PH

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1917RUSSIAN REVOLUTION After a revolution topples Czar Nicholas II, Vladimir Lenin establishes a Communist state that becomes the Soviet Union. The U.S. doesn't formally recognize that country until 1933.

1939-1945WORLD WAR IIThe U.S. and the Soviet Union are allies in the war against Nazi Germany. American and Soviet leaders plan for postwar Europe, but the spirit of cooperation breaks down quickly after the war ends.

1947 THE COLD WARAs the Soviet Union installs Communist regimes in Eastern Europe, the U.S. pledges to protect all countries resisting Communism. An almost five-decade- long struggle ensues.

1962CUBAN MISSILE CRISISU.S. President John F. Kennedy learns that Soviet missiles are being installed in Cuba, bringing the U.S. and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war. After 13 days, the missiles are removed.

The U.S. & Russia

TIMELINE

Russia’s recent forcefulness has led

many people to conclude that

relations between the U.S. and Russia are

worse than they have been in decades.

JUNIOR.SCHOLASTIC.COM 15

areas. That helped Assad a great deal. He has since

gained the advantage in the civil war. The rebels are now

on the defensive.

A NEW COLD WAR OR A FRESH START?Russia’s recent forcefulness

has led many people to con-

clude that relations between

the U.S. and Russia are worse

than they have been in

decades. Some experts worry

that a mistake on either side

could spark a military con-

frontation.

“We are now in a new Cold

War that is more dangerous

than the [one before],” says

Stephen Cohen. He is a Rus-

sia scholar at Princeton

University in New Jersey.

President Trump has

repeatedly promised to

improve relations with Rus-

sia. But many experts say that

a long-lasting partnership

between the two countries is

unlikely. Aside from fighting

terrorism, “I’m not optimistic that the overlap of com-

mon interests with Russia is very big,” says Michael

McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia.

Consider the Arab-Israeli

conflict and the Iran nuclear

threat. Both have been men-

tioned by Trump and Putin as

possible areas of cooperation.

Iran is Israel’s sworn enemy.

Russia is an ally of Iran and

supplies weapons to it. The

U.S. and Trump, meanwhile,

have been critical of Iran and

supportive of Israel.

Trump and Putin are also

on opposite sides when it

comes to the North Atlantic

Treaty Organization (NATO).

The U.S. has long been

the leader of the 28-nation

military alliance. NATO is

dedicated to protecting the

freedom of Western Europe.

But Russia sees NATO as an

opponent. Some experts say

that Putin’s key goal is to

break up the NATO alliance

and drive the U.S. out of

Europe altogether.BE

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1985THAW IN RELATIONSThe Soviet Union’s new leader, Mikhail Gorbachev (above, right), moves to reform its economy and open up political debate. His friendship with U.S. President Ronald Reagan helps improve relations.

1991SOVIET COLLAPSE After uprisings sweep away Communist regimes in much of Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union disbands. An independent Russia chooses its first democratically elected president, Boris Yeltsin.

1999PUTIN ASCENDS TO POWERVladimir Putin is appointed president when Yeltsin resigns, then is elected to the post in 2000. Over time, Putin consolidates power, jailing opponents and limiting press freedoms.

Today FRIEND OR FOE?President Trump has said he wants to improve U.S. relations with Russia. But the effort could be complicated by the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

➤Turn to p. 21 for an interview about life in the Soviet Union.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin, riding horseback in 2010, enjoys projecting a tough-guy image.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Con-

gress are looking into Russia’s possible involvement and

whether the Trump campaign might have worked with

Russia during the election. As those inquiries continue,

Trump has stopped tweeting praise for Russia. Similarly,

The U.S. and Russia do

have common terrorist

enemies, such as ISIS. But

U.S. intelligence agen-cies are hesitant to share

information with Russian

officials. That is because

Russia is more likely to see

the U.S. as a target to be

spied on than an ally.

EXPECTATIONS VS. REALITYAny plans for closer U.S.-Russia ties have become more

complicated recently. American intelligence officials say

that Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential

election to improve Trump’s chances of winning. (See

“Did Russia Hack Our Election?” below.)

16 APRIL 24, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

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During the U.S. presidential race, the website WikiLeaks published thousands of emails belonging to Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials. The site allegedly obtained them from Russian hackers. The emails embarrassed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, who was then in a close contest with Donald Trump.

Why would Russia

hack the emails?

U.S. intelligence agencies say that Russian hackers

broke into the DNC’s computer network, then shared the emails in an effort to influence the election. According to the FBI, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the hacking to increase Trump’s chances of winning.

Why would Putin

want Trump to win?

Putin dislikes Clinton and clashed with her during her time as U.S. Secretary of State. “He had a clear preference for the person running against the person he hated so much,” FBI Director

James Comey recently told Congress.

How is the U.S.

responding?

Congress and the FBI are now investigating the Russian hacking—and whether Trump’s

campaign staff may have played a role in it.

President Trump has said that the hacks had “absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election.” He has called the controversy “fake news.”

DID RUSSIA HACK OUR ELECTION?

Both President Trump and President Putin have tweeted about their hopes for better U.S.-Russia relations.

Trump and Clinton at a September debate

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KAZAKHSTAN

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JUNIOR.SCHOLASTIC.COM 17

1. The Soviet Union was part of which continents? 2. Which mountain ranges form part of the

boundary between those continents? 3. Which was the largest Soviet republic? 4. Which republics bordered Afghanistan? 5. After the Soviet Union broke up, it became

how many separate countries? 6. What is the northernmost city on this map?

7. What is the name of the peninsula Russia annexed, or seized control of, in 2014?

8. In which direction would you travel to get from the city of Baku to the city of Astana?

9. What is the capital of the former Soviet republic that Russia invaded in 2014?

10. How many straight-line miles separate that city and Russia's capital?

Map Skills

CORE QUESTION What are some reasons the U.S. and Russia might have a hard time trusting each other? Consider both past and present events and cite the text.

GO TO JUNIOR.SCHOLASTIC.COM TO: Download Skills Sheets // Play the Mapman® Game

Russia’s news media has stopped complimenting Trump.

Fiona Hill is Trump’s Russia adviser. In what might be

a sign of where the relationship is headed, she has said

that renewed cooperation with Russia is not in the cards.

“The Russians will get giddy with expectations,” Hill

told The Atlantic magazine last fall. “And then they’ll be

dashed, like five minutes into the relationship.” As she

explained, “[That is] because the U.S. and Russia just

have a very hard time . . . being on the same page.”

If Hill is right, the friendship between Trump and

Putin could be over before it really gets going. ◆

Mapping the Former Soviet Union Before its collapse in 1991, the Soviet Union was a powerful country. It was made up of 15 republics, dominated by Russia.