In early 2017, American intelligence agencies unequivocally concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to sabotage the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The assessment found that Mr. Putin aimed to undermine Americans’ faith in their electoral system and the U.S.-led “liberal world order” that Russia sees as a threat. This was achieved by aiding Donald Trump’s election victory, according to intelligence findings. However, eight years later, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Trump dismissed these findings, referring to them as a “phony witch hunt,” aligning himself with Putin as victims. This alignment reflects Trump’s perception of shared interests with Putin, including opposition to Democratic lawmakers, European leaders, and an alleged “deep state” within the U.S. government.
The relationship between Trump and Putin has been under scrutiny for years, with various inquiries uncovering evidence of Trump’s affinity for a Russian leader who has long sought to undermine American interests. Despite the lack of a clear explanation for this affinity, Trump’s actions in his first six weeks back in office have been largely in alignment with the Kremlin’s interests, making his stance toward Putin more impactful than before. This viewpoint is seen by Susan Miller, the former head of counterintelligence at the C.I.A. and leader of the 2017 Russian election interference assessment, as rooted in “autocrat envy” because Trump admires Putin’s uncontested power in Russia.
In contrast, Trump has accused Zelensky of initiating the conflict in Ukraine and halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine, which is crucial for battling Russian forces. He has also slashed American foreign aid programs that Putin despises, marginalized European allies, and positioned himself as a peace broker to end the Ukraine war, though he has pressured Zelensky more than Putin to make concessions. The stance of European nations and Russia toward history, with Lavrov blaming European countries for history’s tragedies, further indicates a shift away from the U.S.-led global order.
These developments have left counterintelligence officers like Miller in the crosshairs, with the “Russia hoax” grievance fueling Trump’s anger and aligns him with Putin as victims. The convergence of views on Ukraine between Trump, other Republicans, and Putin is evident, with some now echoing Putin’s rhetoric about Ukraine, and Trump’s administration pushing for Ukraine to negotiate peace with Russia. This shift in stance towards the conflict by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, characterizing it as a dangerous “proxy war” between the U.S. and Russia, highlights the alignment between the White House and the Kremlin.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/08/us/politics/trumps-affinity-for-putin-grows-more-consequential-than-ever.html
