© Sputnik/Alexey Nikolskiy
The long-anticipated phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump has finally taken place, sending shock waves through the geopolitical landscape. But before anyone gets carried away with triumph or despair, it's worth recognizing what has actually happened: Russian-US relations have simply returned to their natural state - one of strategic rivalry, conflicting interests, and fundamental differences in worldview.
For decades, the US pursued a fantasy - one where it could reshape Russia in its own image, first through incentives and later through coercion. Washington believed it could mold Moscow into a compliant partner within the 'liberal international order', an illusion that only collapsed when reality hit: Russia was never going to be remade. Meanwhile, Moscow spent years trying to find common ground, adjusting its own policies in hopes of reaching a workable coexistence. That experiment, too, ended a decade ago.
Comment: Russia will see it as a plus if some more common sense and adult approach will be coming from the US even if it has learned the hard way not to expect too much from the US.