How Will U.S.-Russia Relations Change On Day One Of Trump’s Presidency?

Where might Trump and Putin find common ground?

Jake Neher/WDET

The incoming president has said on many occasions that he hopes to forge a new and closer relationship between the United States and Russia. In public statements Trump has also minimized the importance of NATO and American allies.

While Trump admits Russia tried to sway the outcome of the election in his favor, he denies that it had any impact on the final results against Hillary Clinton.

He also denies Russia’s Vladimir Putin has amassed embarrassing and potentially damaging information against him as leverage for future negotiations.

It’s a complicated relationship already, freighted with a history of business and political dealings, and it befuddles politicians and experts alike.

Aaron Retish is a history professor at Wayne State University with a specialization in Soviet and Russian history. He spoke with Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson about the many complex elements at play between Trump, Putin, and the governments they represent.

Retish says there could be some common ground that unites Trump and Putin. 

“One of the places of cooperation between Russian and the United States is to fight terrorism… and ISIS,” says Retish. But, Retish says, that isn’t necessarily a wholly positive thing. “Does dealing with ISIS outweigh human-rights violations?”

To hear more from the conversation, click on the audio player above.

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