US-Russia Relations to Stick to Status Quo After Presidential Elections

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — US-Russia relations after the presidential elections will remain at the current level in the best case scenario, a renowned US political scientist at the University of Chicago and the author of the theory of offensive realism told Sputnik.

"I think if [Democratic presidential nominee] Hillary Clinton wins, it is very likely that relations between the United States and Russia will probably get somewhat worse. Because Clinton is more hawkish toward Russia than Obama is. In fact, she has a much more negative view of Putin than Obama has. All we can hope for is that if she gets elected, we will maintain the status quo," John Mearsheimer said, adding that the relations are not going to improve any time soon.

The bilateral ties may improve under GOP nominee Donald Trump but the political scientist does not believe in such an outcome.

"If Trump gets elected, it's quite clear from everything he said that relations will probably improve somewhat. He is not going to be elected. But if a miracle happens, he will do something to improve relations with Russia," he said.

Mearsheimer stressed that the US foreign policy establishment is filled with people hostile to Russia, "so even Trump will have problems."

The US presidential elections will take place on November 8.

Moreover, concerning the relations between the United States and the European Union, he added that they will either stay unchanged or deteriorate following the upcoming presidential elections, a renowned US political scientist at the University of Chicago and the author of the theory of offensive realism told Sputnik.

"I don't think the relations between the European Union and the United States will be affected at all if [Democratic presidential nominee] Hillary Clinton wins. It will be the continuation of the same policy towards the EU and Western Europe that President Obama has pursued," John Mearsheimer said.

If Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump wins, then there is a chance for the deterioration of bilateral ties between Brussels and Washington, he noted.

"If Donald Trump wins, though again, I do not think that's going to happen, I think the US will probably get into more hostile relations with Western Europe. He believes that western Europeans are 'free-riders,' relying on the United States to provide security for them… Those are rich countries, they should defend themselves," Mearsheimer said.

The political scientist added that the foreign policy establishment under Trump would "work overtime to make sure that we don't change the transatlantic relations in any meaningful way."

The United States and the European Union are among the world's biggest economies and major military powers. Trade relations are one of the most important aspects of their ties, with the current Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement being negotiated by the two sides. The EU-US economic relationship accounts for more than 30 percent of global trade in goods and 40 percent of global trade in services, according to the EU delegation to the United States' website.

Washington and Brussels cooperate closely on security matters, including practical cooperation regarding the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), the EU’s mechanism for deploying crisis management missions around the globe, and within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).