Trump's election and Russia: thoughts?

[millefleur 5,047]

Hi everyone,

Kinda late to the party because I was on vacation. I'm really shocked by the election of Trump. I seriously just didn't expect it. I'm living in Russia now and the mood here is really positive.

Despite the fact that I'm not a Trump supporter, I do think he might be able to patch up the recently botched Russia-U.S. relations if he and his administration seriously aim at doing so. I'm sure for anyone who has Russian relatives this is rather good news, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

Since I started living in Russia, the Russian government has started clamping down on immigration here for Americans. They make it harder now to get temporary residence and at some borders, Americans get grilled by immigration officers and even FSB agents. Another thing, my husband will be able to have a US passport by Russian law, as natural born Russians are allowed dual citizenship, but non-Russians are not allowed to naturalize unless they give up their original citizenship.

I hoping that if relations between the two countries improve that there will be an improvement for us with Russian relatives. I know Trump's election is probably a big downer for most people with foreign spouses, but maybe for us with Russian relatives it might end up being a good thing. What do you guys think?

[Dakine10 5,452]

Hi everyone,

Kinda late to the party because I was on vacation. I'm really shocked by the election of Trump. I seriously just didn't expect it. I'm living in Russia now and the mood here is really positive.

Despite the fact that I'm not a Trump supporter, I do think he might be able to patch up the recently botched Russia-U.S. relations if he and his administration seriously aim at doing so. I'm sure for anyone who has Russian relatives this is rather good news, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

Since I started living in Russia, the Russian government has started clamping down on immigration here for Americans. They make it harder now to get temporary residence and at some borders, Americans get grilled by immigration officers and even FSB agents. Another thing, my husband will be able to have a US passport by Russian law, as natural born Russians are allowed dual citizenship, but non-Russians are not allowed to naturalize unless they give up their original citizenship.

I hoping that if relations between the two countries improve that there will be an improvement for us with Russian relatives. I know Trump's election is probably a big downer for most people with foreign spouses, but maybe for us with Russian relatives it might end up being a good thing. What do you guys think?

The overall theme with my wife and most of her Russian friends was celebration. The consensus was that Hillary would be an extension of Obama policy and continuing sanctions while Trump seems more open to normalizing relations and has expressed the possibility of ending sanctions.

While many people here and around the world are apprehensive about the uncertainty that surrounds Trump policy, it appears, on the surface at least, that for Russia uncertainty is a more optimistic alternative than status quo.

[millefleur 5,047]

The overall theme with my wife and most of her Russian friends was celebration. The consensus was that Hillary would be an extension of Obama policy and continuing sanctions while Trump seems more open to normalizing relations and has expressed the possibility of ending sanctions.

While many people here and around the world are apprehensive about the uncertainty that surrounds Trump policy, it appears, on the surface at least, that for Russia uncertainty is a more optimistic alternative than status quo.

I think that could be applied to Russia as a whole. Good insight.

[Dashinka 24,651]

I was in Krasnoyarsk and Abakan for several weeks this past Summer. Many of my in-laws asked me what I thought about Trump/Hillary, and it was quite clear they liked Trump much more than Hillary. They told me that they did not want to see four more years of the Obama policies, and even though Trump was very much an unknown then (and still is now), they were more excited about his prospects than her's. Fast forward a few months, and Katya told me that everyone in the family was very happy Trump won. Personally, I would like to see relations between the US and Russia soften. Although, I did not experience any anti-American feelings during my visits over the past few years, I feel a softening of relations will hopefully make it easier to continue to get visas for myself so Katya and I can continue to visit our family, and maybe some of her family may be able to get get visas to visit us at some point in the future.

[millefleur 5,047]

Thanks, Bill. Yeah, a lot of the more aggressive suspicion I've encountered here is when crossing the Finnish border via car. Usually the airport border people are pretty relaxed, but I've been questioned there a lot more since the Crimea incident, probably because I've had long stay visas as opposed to just tourist visas. Also I have a Russian first name despite not being Russian, so I think I just confuse them with my US passport.

I was extremely happy with the three year visa law which passed in 2013. I'm hoping if US-Russia relations improve in the future, we'll see even more progress on the visa/residency relations. Let's see what happens, it'll be pretty interesting when Prez Trump and his cabinet (that still sounds very surreal to me, lol) and Putin actually start getting down to business.

Edited November 11, 2016 by millefleur

[RobertM54 36]

I flew to Kiev on the day after the election. If the steady decline in the Hryvna is any indication, the money changers in Ukraine agree that this is not good for Ukraine.

[RobertM54 36]

Hrvna was 26.30 on Wednesday, 26.70 today. I saw one sign at 26.9. I think people here see nothing good in a Trump presidency.

Saw an article that Ukraine should expect the war to go on for decades (or as long as it is good for Putin).

[millefleur 5,047]

Hrvna was 26.30 on Wednesday, 26.70 today. I saw one sign at 26.9. I think people here see nothing good in a Trump presidency.

Saw an article that Ukraine should expect the war to go on for decades (or as long as it is good for Putin).

If it makes you feel any better, the ruble is still in the toilet. USD ЦБ 65,86 (+0,64)....I really doubt even Trump is going to magically bring back the 30 RUR to USD exchange rate. But yep, Putin is still infallible!

[RobertM54 36]

Saw 27.20 on the way to the airport

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

Speaking about preferences over Trump/Hillary in Russia we need to consider that representation of US elections in Russia was not the same it was here, like a lot of things that go in Ukraine, Syria and other countries where Russia and US both have interests are presented for the people very different in both countries. Like most of the people in Russia I've spoken about elections don't know anything about Bernie Sanders and many of them didn't even hear he was involved in the elections earlier in the year. Same about Trump and Hillary. Some of my friends said that watching Russian TV news this year they got an impression that Hillary wants to start WW3 and nuke Russia while Trump is a great and honest businessman who wants to bring money into US economy and make lots of new workplaces for all US citizens to fix everything in the US economy what Obama ruined in the past years. Doesn't it sound quite different from what people hear on TV or read in the internet here?

- Victor from Russia

[TBoneTX 45,659]

Holy mackerel -- what a difference!

[millefleur 5,047]

Speaking about preferences over Trump/Hillary in Russia we need to consider that representation of US elections in Russia was not the same it was here, like a lot of things that go in Ukraine, Syria and other countries where Russia and US both have interests are presented for the people very different in both countries. Like most of the people in Russia I've spoken about elections don't know anything about Bernie Sanders and many of them didn't even hear he was involved in the elections earlier in the year. Same about Trump and Hillary. Some of my friends said that watching Russian TV news this year they got an impression that Hillary wants to start WW3 and nuke Russia while Trump is a great and honest businessman who wants to bring money into US economy and make lots of new workplaces for all US citizens to fix everything in the US economy what Obama ruined in the past years. Doesn't it sound quite different from what people hear on TV or read in the internet here?

- Victor from Russia

Depends on your source of news. If you read conservative sites, you'd hear similar things about Trump and Obama. And the Hillary starting WW3 thing I think was even started by conservatives stateside...the Russians seemingly just took the ball and ran with it.

[millefleur 5,047]

Obama on Trump on Russia: 'My hope is that he does not simply take a realpolitik approach' via The Guardian

Obama now on Russia.

He says his approach has been constant.

“Russia is an important country. It is a military superpower. It has influence in the region and it has influence around the world. In order for us to solve many big problems... it is in our interest to work with Russia... we should all hope for a Russia that’s successful...I’ve sought a constructive relationship... but what I’ve also been is realistic in recognizing there are some significant differences in how Russia sees the world and how we view the world.” He mentions free speech, rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity. “On issues like Ukraine, on issues like Syria, we’ve had very significant differences."

Now on Trump:

“My hope is that he does not simply take a realpolitik approach” of cutting deals “even if it violates international norms or leaves smaller countries vulnerable,” Obama says. "My hope is that the president elect coming in takes a similarly constructive approach.. but that the president-elect is also willing to stand up to Russia where they are deviating from our values or international norms."

Edited November 17, 2016 by millefleur