The New Cold War: US-Russian Relations Under the Trump Administration (2017-2020)

Abstract

The new Cold War is alive and well. While the original Cold War is much different from the new, it aids in providing a glimpse into what may lie ahead if tensions are not properly addressed. President Trump initially sought to address these very tensions with Russia before he was inaugurated on January 20, 2017, but events would unfold that would inevitably render that goal as a herculean task with no indications of improvement. The Trump administration would be plagued by sensational news and media hysteria that would inevitably overemphasize—or inflate—the Russian threat. This narrative is seemingly joined by Russia’s purported threat narrative that the West is actively trying to undermine Russian society. The culmination of both countries’ respective threat narratives and the lack of predictability only make miscalculation and escalation more probable, thus indicating that the bilateral relationship has entered a dangerously low point not seen since the original Cold War.