Dear Editor,

With the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, I know for sure that at least one other world leader must be smiling — Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Surely, he got what he wished for with the results of those elections. At the present time, the world is going Russia’s way.

Even though Russia has been denying it, there have been many claims that it — and by extension Putin — has been meddling in US internal affairs by being a significant string-puller to prevent a Clinton win. We’ve all seen the results. Clinton had stated her desire to impose a no-fly zone over Syria (an impossible task, mind you, as Russia would never have allowed that); however, Trump has been saying that such a plan would risk a war with Russia, and he was not for it. Putin has been one of the few world leaders who have been openly happy with the election of Trump, as he should be. Clearly the Trump victory has given the Russians at least some more hope that it can push through its Syrian policy without having to worry much about what the Americans would do – not that the US could have done very much anyway.

A few years ago Russia made it very clear to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that its eastward expansion into Europe would not be tolerated. Putin got his duma (parliament) to authorise a Russian invasion of the Ukraine. Now, while there was now no real need for that, Russia got what it wanted: NATO’s halt and its refusal to give serious consideration to admitting the Ukraine.

Added to that, Putin then sent the Russian army into the Crimea and annexed the Ukrainian territory. Again, the West did nothing and Putin won.

Now the Americans have elected a president who has openly said that he is not too indifferent to any plan to formally recognise that Russian conquest.

While Russian influence in Great Britain is debatable, there can be very little doubt that a European Union (EU) without Britain is very much more preferred to Russia than a EU with that country. So when the British voted to leave the EU, Russia and Putin no doubt very happy. A weaker EU, without Britain, as far as Putin can see, must mean a strong Russia in Europe.

The three Baltic republics, which are NATO members, have every reason to be nervous about a Trump victory, as the man had said that he sees no reason why America should risk world war three by going to their defence, by fighting Russia, should the Russians invade them. Putin will therefore have even more reasons to advance what many see as his plans to reincorporate the Baltic states back into Russia.

Whether Trump will stay true to what Putin hopes or not when he becomes president remains to be seen, but Russia must be pleased that much of the world’s politics seems to be going its way right now.

Michael A Dingwall

michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com