DMITRY MININ | 18.02.2017 | WORLD
The Tensions Between Russia and the US Are Not a Historical By-Product
It is argued that the more conflicts nations have had with one another in the past («historical traumas»), the more difficult it becomes to establish normal relations in the present. The opposite is also true - a previous alliance formed between nationalities while fighting critical battles smooths the path to building a close partnership. In this sense, the confrontation between the US and Russia seems like a departure from this pattern. Donald Trump has been open about his intention to normalize relations with Moscow, but it is wrong to accuse him of making a naive attempt to change this objective course of events.
There is nothing preordained about the current state of affairs between the Kremlin and the White House. Even a brief glance over the key events from our shared history shows that during the crucial moments of that history, Russians and Americans have always been allies and never opponents. The hostility of the second half of the twentieth and early twenty-first century was to a great extent the exception to this rule and not the norm. It is interesting that Lawrence Solomon of the National Post wrote that «[c]ontrary to the common perception that Russia is a natural enemy of the U.S., Russia is a natural friend». He claims that, with the exception of a few decades, no other country in the history of the US has been «a more faithful friend, particularly in times of need».
At the birth of the American state in the 1770s, Catherine II supported the young commonwealth. When the 13 colonies rebelled against the British crown in 1775, King George III asked the Russian empress to assist the efforts of British troops to suppress that insurrection. He was firmly refused. In 1780, at the height of the Revolutionary War, Russia’s announcement of armed neutrality actually translated into support for the rebellious colonies. Russia also reserved the right to attack British warships that were attempting to establish a blockade that would have prevented other countries’ merchant ships from reaching the American coast. Russia even founded the League of Armed Neutrality. This would seem an apt moment to refresh our memories about Russia’s fight to lift those sanctions against the US. The first US president, George Washington, emphasized that the Russian government was guided by principles of «respect for the rights of humanity».
In 1809, Russia and the United States established full diplomatic relations. The first US ambassador to Russia was John Quincy Adams, who later became the sixth US president. A famous warning to the future leaders of America is attributed to him, in which he urged them to ensure that the US «goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy», for in fact there were none. It is possible that he came to this conclusion during the time he spent in St. Petersburg. In his correspondence with Alexander I, the then-US president, Thomas Jefferson, described the Russian Empire as «the most cordially friendly to us of any power on earth» and expressed the hope that his friendly feelings towards Russia «should become those of the nation».
