Trump Defends Establishing a 'Good Relationship' with Russia and Criticizes Opponents

The elected President of the United States defended establishing a good relationship with Russia and ending disputes with the country in several Twitter posts, criticizing those who do not believe in having a good relationship with Moscow. Trump's latest tweets regarding Russia seem to be related to recent reports from intelligence agencies about 'Russian cyber interference in the U.S. election campaign,' allegedly 'directed by the President of Russia.' Following the reports, Trump stated that he does not believe in election manipulation. On January 8, he emphasized again that 'the only reason the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, which had weak defenses (in cyberspace), is being discussed is that the Democrats' defeat (in the election) was so severe that they are embarrassed.' The Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman were targets of cyber attacks in recent months, which U.S. intelligence claims were carried out by Russia. The Obama administration also imposed sanctions on Moscow in response, which Russia has strongly denied. Hours later, Trump defended improving relations with Moscow in several tweets, stating, 'Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only ignorant and 'foolish' people might think this is bad.' He added that during his presidency, Moscow will show much more respect for the U.S. government than during Barack Obama's presidency, and that 'both countries will likely work together to solve some of the world's biggest problems.' During Obama's presidency, relations between Moscow and Washington were strained due to various issues, some of which were compared to the Cold War era. These issues include the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, accusations against Russia of supporting Ukrainian separatists, Moscow's strong objections to NATO's growth at its western borders, and the Syrian civil war, where Moscow is one of Bashar al-Assad's main supporters, while Washington is one of his main opponents. However, there have also been collaborations between the two sides, such as the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, which Trump is a staunch opponent of. It is not only Democratic politicians or the Obama administration that view Moscow unfavorably; several senior Republican figures in the U.S. Congress are also known critics of Vladimir Putin and his government. For example, Senator John McCain spent New Year's at a military base in Ukraine amid tensions with separatists, and Senator Lindsey Graham has stated that his goal during Trump's presidency is to impose 'severe sanctions against Russia.' According to opponents, Russia under Putin is not considered a friend of America. However, there are also Republican politicians who have defended the future U.S. president's views on Russia; for instance, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, nominated by Trump for Attorney General, stated last summer, 'Trump is right; we need to find a way to end hostilities between the two sides.' According to people like Sessions, these hostilities have 'cost billions of dollars' and put both countries at great risk. Donald Trump will take over the leadership of the U.S. government in two weeks.