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This Is What Trump 2.0 Means for Russia
Putin is both relieved and giddy at the prospect of the chaos descending on Washington.
As is the tradition since we left Russia, we call my wife’s parents in St. Petersburg and ring in the new year with them. This year was no different, and three hours before our start in 2025, we were gathered in a friend’s kitchen with glasses of wine at the ready. Cutting through the excited anticipation of the ringing of the bells on the Kremlin clock tower, I could hear HIS voice in the background.
“Can you show me the TV,” I asked my mother-in-law. Surprised I wanted to see the man I consider a murderous demon, she turned the iPad so we could watch him offer up his usual crock of “I want peace, but THEY don’t, so I will defend you, my great Russian family.”
As I looked into his eyes this year, I noticed a sense of merriment that had been missing in Putin’s demeanor since he made the colossal mistake of invading Ukraine nearly three years ago. His eyes were brighter than usual, making it seem that maybe the dictator had enjoyed a glass or two of the bubbly before making his pre-recorded speech — Russia has 11 time zones, and everyone gets the same speech.
In the way that capital cities of all our enemies are celebrating Trump’s return, Moscow is no…
