For reasons of culture and history, Russians respect strength. They despise weakness and enjoy devouring those who offer it.

President-elect Donald Trump prizes himself as an artist of effective negotiation. Trump’s negotiations delivered some dividends in his first term. The former president transitioned U.S.-North Korean relations from the precipice of war to an eccentric but welcome detente. Trump reached a major trade deal between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Trump secured increased defense spending commitments from NATO allies and financial burden-sharing agreements from South Korea.