Still, even if convinced that Mr. Trump is not being blackmailed, analysts are still puzzled over why his actions so closely coincided with Russia’s foreign policy goals. “Once again we see a president who appears to be acting impulsively and erratically — except when it comes to Russia,” said Leslie Vinjamuri, professor of international relations at SOAS University of London. “Trump’s announcement that they are leaving Syria is a gift, of course,” said Valery D. Solovei, a political-science professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. The Kremlin may use its success in Syria to forge on into Libya for similar reasons, he said. On the sanctions front, although the United States lifted penalties on Rusal, that came at the cost of diminishing Mr. Deripaska’s role with the company.

Source: New York Times December 21, 2018 15:45 UTC