On March 9th, 2017, the Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia at NYU and the Harriman Institute at Columbia University held the inaugural event of the New York Russia Public Policy Seminar, “The Reset Trap? Reconfiguring U.S.-Russia Relations in a Time of International Uncertainty.” Panelists included Stephen Kotkin (Princeton University), Daniel Nexon (Georgetown University) and Yuval Weber (National Research University — Higher School of Economics and Harvard Davis Center).
In response to the discussion, Daniel Nexon shared the following thoughts on Twitter:
2. Consensus on panel articulated nicely by @yuvalweber during his remarks. ??immmediate aim is to get out of post-Ukraine sanctions regime.
— Daniel Nexon (@dhnexon) March 10, 2017
4. But ?? got signals from Trump campaign—notably Carter Page—that his aim was to dismantle American-led liberal order.
— Daniel Nexon (@dhnexon) March 10, 2017
6. Simply put, Moscow is too weak to challenge US and "west." But Trump offered possibility of US committing geopolitical suicide…
— Daniel Nexon (@dhnexon) March 10, 2017
8. (a) Was there active collusion? Who knows? There were certainly people around Trump who made clear to Moscow that interests aligned.
— Daniel Nexon (@dhnexon) March 10, 2017
10. The kind of nudge-nudge-wink-wink game where Trump (and campaign) signals support for Moscow more than enough to keep ball rolling.
— Daniel Nexon (@dhnexon) March 10, 2017
12. What really matters is that Moscow understood that Trump was a possible "hail Mary" for destroying US power from within. Think on that.
— Daniel Nexon (@dhnexon) March 10, 2017
14. Using the state to benefit not just his family, but favored businesses and leaders, etc. etc.
— Daniel Nexon (@dhnexon) March 10, 2017
16. Even if Trump were capable of that kind of complex geopolitical bargaining, his room to maneuver on Russia is limited and…
— Daniel Nexon (@dhnexon) March 10, 2017
18. Meanwhile, from DoD to NSC, people who are more clear-eyed on Russia appear to be gaining strength in Administration.
— Daniel Nexon (@dhnexon) March 10, 2017
20. But with Trump and his loyalists, you can never say never. /end
— Daniel Nexon (@dhnexon) March 10, 2017
The New York Russia Public Policy Seminar seeks to bring innovative and impactful scholarship and analysis to bear on key trends and related policy questions and to create an informed network for open dialogue and debate.The joint initiative, supported by the Carnegie Cooperation of New York, establishes a regular forum for academics and professionals in New York city to engage with pressing issues informing U.S.-Russia relations. Join us on April 27th at 5:00 PM for the next event in the series, hosted by NYU.
