During the Cold War, with Russian-American relations at rock bottom, Russia dominated the headlines of American media. When the Cold War ended in 1991, Russia faded from the American news and other conflicts arose. Now, in 2017, Russia has once again taken over the headlines. With the interference of Russia in American politics—namely, the alleged hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the blackmail tapes—relations between Washington and Moscow seem to be headed toward a second all-time low.

Of course, tension between the two countries has been brewing for several years. A notable example is Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, when Russian troops took over key positions and the Supreme Council and declared the territory independent. Ukraine believed such an annexation to be illegal; most world leaders agreed. In response, the U.S. and several other countries imposed economic sanctions against Russia.

Russian involvement in the Syrian civil war precipitated a further breakdown in Russia-U.S. relations. Not only has Russia given Syria’s brutal government direct military aid, but it has also sent soldiers and airplanes to participate in the war against the rebels. As a permanent member of the UN security council, Russia has repeatedly vetoed any resolutions aimed at the resignation of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Although America has not interfered with this war directly and does not seek to do so, Russia’s support of a tyrannical government has continued to strain its relationship with the West.

Such conflicts stand in stark contrast to the optimism of 2009, when the two countries pressed a “reset button” and tried to put all conflict behind them. In 2011, however, the “reset” began to unravel; when protests began in Russia over the results of the legislative election, prime minister Putin accused the U.S. of interfering in Russian politics.

Now, it seems, the tables have turned: U.S. intelligence agencies such as the CIA and NSA have unanimously concluded that Russian forces attempted to aid Donald Trump during the 2016 election. To that end, Russian hackers released thousands of DNC emails, many of which cast Hillary Clinton and her party in an unfavorable light. The Russians also allegedly bankrolled fake news sites disparaging Clinton.

Nonetheless, Trump still seeks to form a partnership with Putin.

“With the hostility between Russia and [United States], Trump and Putin still seem to want to be partners. This idea seems so strange that I think it may have an ominous undertone to it,” explains Andrea Lan ‘18.

Many theories exist as to why the Russians wish to aid Trump. For example, Clinton’s stance on Russia was clear: she would not give in and would not seek any compromise. Trump, on the other hand, held no such position, leaving room for Russian influence. Another theory concerns the conflict of interest posed by Trump’s business interests; instead of focusing on political policies and problems, he may focus more on business, which could harm the United States and increase Russia’s sphere of influence.

The newest example of Russia’s undermining of American interests is the alleged blackmail tapes. According to a former British intelligence officer, Russia possesses tapes of President Trump with Russian prostitutes during his stay at a Moscow hotel, which could hypothetically be used as leverage against the president. Trump has dismissed this as “fake news” but the CIA believes the claim is credible. Either way, the thought of an American president possibly in thrall to a foreign power carries frightening implications.

The recent trend in Russia-U.S. relations does not bode well for what may come in 2017. Although the year has just begun, many Americans fear that their government is compromised at the very top when it comes to the ability to deal with Russia. The continuance of fraught relations with Russia could lead to terrible consequences and possible proxy wars. To prevent this, Russia and America should endeavor to press another “reset button” to stabilize relations.

Robert Rutkowski ‘20 points out, “After all these conflicts of interest between Russia and America, it seems that if they were to improve relations, it would take a long time and lots of effort.”

This change in relations will probably take longer than the Trump administration’s term or even the next president’s term, but if the change does not begin now, then who knows if it will ever happen.