Russia wants not just a settlement to its Ukraine war, but a set of arrangements that will allow it to protect its own security. From Dmitry Trenin at swentr.site:
Trump could reshape the global order, and Moscow will be hoping he succeeds
A souvenir shopkeeper displays Matryoshka dolls featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump © Getty Images / Getty Images
The reopening of US-Russia dialogue has triggered alarm, especially in Western Europe, where many see it as a potential repeat of Yalta — a grand power settlement taking place over their heads. Much of the commentary has been exaggerated. Yet, the pace of global change has clearly accelerated. The words and actions of US President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other key Republican figures over the past ten days suggest that Washington has stopped resisting the shift to a new world order and is now trying to lead it.
This is a well-known US tactic: when the tide of history turns, America prefers to surf rather than sink. Trump’s administration is not clinging to the crumbling post-Cold War unipolar order; instead, it is reshaping US foreign policy to secure America’s primacy in a multipolar world. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio bluntly stated, multipolarity is already a reality. Washington’s goal is to be primus inter pares — first among equals — rather than a declining hegemon.
America’s New Global Approach
Trump’s vision for North America is straightforward: from Greenland to Mexico and Panama, the entire region will be firmly bound to the US, either as part of its economic engine or under its military umbrella. Latin America remains an extension of this sphere, with Washington ensuring that outside powers — China, for example — do not gain undue influence. The Monroe Doctrine, in spirit, remains very much alive.
Western Europe, however, is another matter. From Trump’s perspective, the continent is like a spoiled child — too long indulged, too dependent on American protection. The new US stance is clear: Europe must pay its way, both in military and economic terms. Trump and his team see the European Union not as a great power, but as a weak and divided entity that clings to illusions of parity with the United States.
