There is no doubt that our relationship with Russia will change with the new administration. The change may be very slight, or it could be major, creating a new world order that may not please everyone. Europe in particular is extremely nervous about any gains that may be made by Russia. Since the end of World War Two, Europe, for the most part, has had a dysfunctional relationship with Russia. Part of Eastern Europe was under the influence and rule of the old Soviet Union, while the Western Europe lived in fear of imminent attack by the so-called Warsaw Pact, a Soviet led military alliance of Eastern Bloc. With the demise of the Soviet Union, despite the disappearance of the threat of Warsaw Pact, many European nations still feel very mistrustful and fearful of Russia.
Ironically, there are those in Europe who see Putin in a more favorable light than we do. They see Putin as someone that is rough around the edges, a bit too blunt perhaps, but nevertheless someone who puts his country's welfare above all. They may not see him as the cold blooded former KGB officer who is a ruthless modern day Stalin. Some Europeans see their own leaders as being too weak and too steeped in political maneuvering to be of any good for their country. So, in a sort of a grudging way, they see Putin in a more favorable light than some of their own leaders.
Europe's outcry over Russia's behavior in Ukraine is strictly based on the fact that they fear for the loss of their own territory! It may seem far fetched to us, sitting an ocean's width away, but for many European countries, Russia's aggression in Ukraine translates to possible aggression against their own country in the near future. Yet, as everyone knows, despite the outcry and condemnations, no European country has done anything to stop Russia. Why is that? I think it is possible that most European countries are well aware of the history behind Ukraine and Russia, history that binds the two countries making them more similar than dissimilar! Yes, there were Ukrainians that welcomed the German army and some even volunteered to serve in the special SS unit that Nazis established. But those were anti-Soviet Ukrainians, not anti-Russian. Stalin and the Soviets were hated in many parts of Russia and the former Soviet Union. At the same time, Ukraine and Ukrainians had the largest partisan forces, partisans that everyone agrees played a key role in defeating the Nazis.
Historically Ukraine has been part of Russia going way back even as far as the 10th and 11th Centuries. At that time the land of Rus (today's Russia) was settled by Vikings and split into principalities, each ruled by a knyaz or a prince. Such was the case with Moscow and other Russian settlements like Minsk, that later became cities. Kiev (in Ukraine) was the largest and the most powerful principality at the time. Prince Vladimir of Kiev was the first to be baptized and thereby started the spread of Orthodox faith throughout Russia. All of the people living in the various principalities in the land of Rus spoke the language that became known as Russian, and vast majority became of Orthodox faith.
Yes, there were regional dialectical differences, but everyone could communicate in the common language which became Russian. On and off, throughout history, some of these former principalities would try to break away and create an independent state, but invariably they returned to the fold. Ukraine gained some degree of independence as a Cossack state run by Zaparozhian Cossacks in the 17th and 18th Centuries. But they all succumbed eventually to the Russian Tsar in Moscow. So, Ukraine has been part of Russia for at least three centuries, but in fact, has been tied to Russia going back to pre history of that region.
Between 1853 and 1856, Russia fought the combined forces of England, France, Sardinia, and the Turkish Ottoman Empire in what was called the Crimean War. No one at the time even gave a thought that perhaps Crimea was not part of Russia. It was simply thought of as the part of Russia that was on the outer fringes of the Russian Empire. Ukrainians were considered Russian, although some today, as well as in the past, insisted on separating the two. The former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushev was a Ukrainian, as was Leonid Brezhnev! Stalin was a Georgian, and most Russians never really considered him to be Russian. Stalin spoke Russian with a thick Georgian accent and many of his mannerisms and choice of speech were not Russian. Not so with Khrushev and Brezhnev, no one ever called them Ukrainian....they were Russian. As Putin said in a press conference once, before all the mess began in Ukraine, "We are the same people!"
The situation and the relationship that exists between Russia and Ukraine is not simple and clear cut. Ukraine and Ukrainians have been part of Russia for many, many years. Of course there are Ukrainians that are fiercely independent and want to stay separate from Russia. But, their ties and connection to Russia are much stronger and deeper than most outsiders are aware. Puerto Rico in the Caribbean and Guam in the Pacific became our possessions in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans and Guamanians are U.S. citizens. Any problems in those territories would be considered our own internal problems and we would certainly not welcome any foreign intervention. Earlier, after the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848, we gained a huge chunk of territory in our Southwest, mainly Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Texas! Some in Mexico still consider those areas as Mexican territory! Are those states not part of the United States? Can you imagine if foreign powers intervened if we had some internal troubles? It may seem unrealistic to us, but that is how most Russians and most certainly Putin, view the situation in Ukraine. It is an internal problem even though Ukraine gained independence in 1990.
This long preamble about Ukraine and Russia's and our own historical past was meant to show that not everyone sees things the same way. If Trump's administration makes concessions in trying to establish a better relationship with Russia, I have no doubt that part of it will be our easing of sanctions connected with their actions in Ukraine. No doubt this would cause great uproar not only here domestically but with some European nations. But, keep in mind that despite verbal condemnations, the European countries really haven't done much in a way of sanctions. They are too dependent on Russia for natural gas supply as well as petroleum, among other things! When it comes to sanctions against Russia, ours are the biggest and most damaging to Russia.
Diplomatic negotiations are nothing but good horse-trading. There is no magic, no hocus-pocus involved. There is no special training that helps to develop skills for diplomatic negotiations. It is simply good negotiating skills, ability to recognize what the other side wants and how to get what you want without giving up everything! Compromise is huge part of negotiations. If you are not willing to compromise, you won't be able to reach an agreement. So, it is give and take. We will no doubt have to give up some things to gain others. Let's hope we have better negotiators representing our interests and we won't end up as we did in the Iran Nuclear Deal!
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