While Donald Trump¡¯s foreign policy toward Russia and his relationship with President Vladimir Putin have triggered consternation and outrage, there is an ostensible logic to his thinking. Trump is pursuing ¡°the reverse Kissinger¡±: He wants to mirror that war criminal¡¯s strategy to divide Moscow and Beijing but rather than courting China, he seeks to woo Putin as an ally against the Chinese leadership.
It¡¯s a bold approach ¡ª and destined to fail. While there are tensions in the China-Russia relationship ¡ª some of which are substantial and will likely constrain their ¡°friendship without limits¡± ¡ª there is today and in the foreseeable future far more that unites than divides them.
Those who cling to the logic of ¡°the reverse Kissinger¡± must also address a test of that hypothesis that validates my conclusion: former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe¡¯s ill-fated attempts to strike a deal with Putin throughout his term in the Kantei. Despite a courtship that sometimes bordered on humiliation, Abe was ultimately frustrated. Putin pocketed every concession and demanded more. The Japan-Russia relationship ended pretty much where it started: distanced and antagonistic.
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