Just days after publicly criticizing the leaders of Great Britain, Germany, and NATO, and casting America’s European allies as a “foe,” President Donald Trump repeatedly leapt to the defense of Russian President Vladimir Putin in a remarkable joint press conference in Helsinki.
Pressed repeatedly on the topic of whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, Trump expressed doubt about the conclusions of American intelligence agencies and suggested that he put more stock in Putin’s denials. After lacerating European leaders on trade, Trump in his appearance with Putin noticeably dodged contentious issues such as Russia’s annexation of Crimea and military involvement in Syria.
The president’s appearance with Putin brought stringent criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.
But what are the lasting implications for America’s alliances? Did Trump’s trip to Europe remake American foreign policy, with Europe as foes and Russia as an ally?
We spoke with Northeastern political science professor Mai’a Cross, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an expert in European politics, on how the Trump-Putin summit is likely to play out after the furor of the press conference subsides.
