The US and Russia Pretend to Be False Enemies

IN FOCUS, 11 Aug 2025

Sakai Tanaka - TRANSCEND Media Service

7 Aug 2025 – U.S. President Donald Trump and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (currently Vice Chairman of the Security Council) have been exchanging mutual accusations and slander on social media, leading to the US and Russia stepping up their military postures to attack each other. It’s rumored that the US and Russia are on the verge of starting World War III. （Gold Signals War – Martin Armstrong Warns Of “Panic Cycle In 2026”） (Being Fooled by the Virtual Reality of World War/世界大戦への仮想現実に騙される）

2. Medvedev is a loyal retainer of Putin. After the conflict between Russia and the US and Europe became decisive with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in the spring of 2022, he was likely appointed by Putin to continue issuing provocative and extreme accusations and sarcasm against the US and Europe, which the Russian government cannot officially announce but wants to convey to the world. （Trump Threatens Russia’s ‘Failed Former President’ Medvedev Who Better ‘Watch His Words’）
3. Searching my notes, I found nearly 50 statements by Medvedev on this topic over the past three and a half years. His observations about the self-destruction of Britain and Europe and the de-Americanization and the multipolarization of the world order are quite accurate. He has also made many hilarious, sarcastic remarks that were enjoyable (although they may be incomprehensible to American skeptics and liberals). He has many fans in Russia, where the country has become more conservative after realizing the mistakes of liberals. (‘The Americans are no longer the masters of planet Earth’ – ex-Russian president）[‘De-Americanization’: The new trade order may emerge]      [The US dollar is entering the end of its era]    [Munich Security Report 2025: Multipolarization]     [Polarity (international relations]
4. Medvedev continued in his usual vein, criticizing Trump’s empty attempt to mediate peace in Ukraine and his punitive high tariffs on those countries trading with Russia, such as India. Recently, however, Trump has been acting differently. Concerned that Medvedev’s remarks could trigger a nuclear war between the United States and Russia, he deployed a U.S. nuclear submarine near Russia on 1 August 2025, ostensibly to strengthen defenses. It is said that the United States would never attack Russia from a nuclear submarine, and the forward deployment is suspected to be a Trump ploy to create a spectacle from the U.S.-Russia conflict. （Trump’s Beef With Medvedev Just Went Nuclear）
5. Putin has also indirectly intervened in the current U.S.-Russia conflict, declaring that Russia has established a mass-production system for the new “Oreshnik” missile (and therefore would not lose a war with the United States). In the Trump administration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated, “Russia is weaker than the United States, so if a war breaks out between the U.S. and Russia, Russia will have no choice but to use tactical nuclear weapons,” which is also inciting a U.S.-Russia nuclear war.（Trump Deploys 2 Nuclear Subs After Medvedev’s “Foolish, Inflammatory” Statement）
6. While Trump continues to feud with the Putin regime, the United States and Russia maintain close ties and mediate on the Middle East issues, such as Israel’s war in Gaza and the war with Iran. From his first term, Trump overcame existing hostility toward Russia and sought reconciliation with Russia. However, he struggled when Democrats and the establishment fabricated the Russiagate plot, falsely accusing Trump of being a Russian spy. (The Russiagate accusation is currently being exposed in the United States.) [The FBI knew RussiaGate was a lie — but hid that truth]    [What is Russiagate? New evidence in Trump-Russia probe]  （US congressman demands Soros testify over Russiagate plot against Trump）
7. Given the current state of Trump-Russia relations, it is likely that Trump is using Medvedev’s remarks as an opportunity to create the impression that the United States and Russia are on the brink of a nuclear war. Trump has imposed high tariffs on not only Russia, but also other BRICS and non-US powers, such as China and India, for trading with Russia. （Is Trump Hellbent On Derailing India’s Rise As A Great Power）
8. Trump is actually a hidden multipolar promoter, a man who wants to destroy the existing US hegemony and to create a multipolar world. It seems that he is ostentatiously pursuing the US hostile sanctions against Russia and the BRICS in order to conceal his anti-American stance. The more Trump views Russia, China, and India as the enemies of the US, the more they unite and promote the global de-Americanization. The more Trump imposes high tariffs on the BRICS, the less economically dependent the BRICS become on the US and Europe. The global economy has begun to function without the US and Europe, furthering the de-Americanization of the world. (Expansion of the anti-American side/非米側の拡大）    [De-Americanization of Global Trade]     [Pax non-Americana. U.S. exclusion from global trade could…]      [From Pax Americana to Pax “Multipolaris”: The Rise of a Fragmented Global Order]      [De-dollarization: The end of dollar dominance?]
9. Trump and Putin are also secretly collaborating on the Ukraine War. Even when the Ukrainian military’s military strength is depleted and no longer able to fight, they continue to use drones and missiles, which do not require military force, to create the illusion that Ukraine is attacking Russia and that the war is continuing. （Ukrainian Long-Range Drones Hit Multiple Russian Refineries, Factories Overnight）
10. The longer the Ukraine War continues, the more British-affiliated countries, such as the UK, Germany, and France, which were at the center of the existing US-UK hegemony, will cause their self-destruction (the Anglo-Democratic Party in the US is already powerless), leading to the disintegration of the hegemony. British-affiliated countries will squander their finances on sending weapons to Ukraine, meanwhile their people’s lives will deteriorate as they are no longer able to purchase the inexpensive Russian oil and gas. Growing the dissatisfaction among the voters will drive out the existing elite ruling class with each election. (Europe Destroys Itself/自滅させられた欧州）
11. Trump and Putin are working together to prolong the Ukraine War in order to cause the British to self-destruct. It is reported that the West is plotting to remove the unsuccessful Ukrainian President Zelensky and replace him with a more competent warmonger, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi (the current Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, of the British descent). However, in my view, Trump (and Putin) won’t remove Zelensky soon. It is because Zelensky loyally does Trump’s bidding, even though Zelensky’s term as the Ukrainian President has expired, therefore, he has no political legitimacy, and his war efforts have failed. （What’s The Most Realistic Scenario In Which The West Might Replace Zelensky?） [Is Zelensky The Legitimate Head Of Ukraine?]    [Ukrainian parliament affirms Zelenskyy’s legitimacy]    [Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump plan to meet as US pushes to include Volodymyr Zelensky]   [Putin’s White House puppet: Trump follows Kremlin’s direction in stopping all military aid to Ukraine]
12. While I was writing as mentioned above, there came a news that Trump will meet with Putin next week. Since the U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin successfully discussed a ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump himself will meet with Putin to discuss Ukraine. （Kremlin aide reveals details of Putin-Witkoff meeting）
13. If Ukraine were to reach a ceasefire and peace, my analysis would be way off. But that is probably not the case. My long-held view is that the real focus of the US-Russia discussions is not about the Ukraine War, but Israel’s expansion of Middle East hegemony (such as the Gaza War) as part of the multipolarization of the world order. Ukraine probably won’t ceasefire yet. (The Farce of the Ukrainian Ceasefire Continues)    [Trump convinced Netanyahu prolonging Gaza war for political reasons – report]     [How Israel evolved from the Middle East’s David to its Goliat]       [Israel and the Unattainable Dream of Regional Dominance]     [From Damascus to Gaza, Israel’s doctrine of domination has one fatal flaw]    [Israel’s strike on Iran: A defining test for the multipolar world order]
14. Before going to Moscow to meet with Putin, Witkoff visited Israel, met with Netanyahu. And then, he also visited Gaza. It is strange that Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, is also serving as the special envoy for Ukraine. Those are completely different fields, so it would be better to assign them to someone else. （Witkoff Visits Gaza To Investigate Aid Crisis, Hamas Dismisses ‘Staged’ Photo Op）
15. Witkoff is likely serving as the special envoy to convey Israel’s (Netanyahu’s) will to Trump and Putin. For Israel and for its hegemonic strategy, Russia is just as important as the United States. By concurrently serving as special envoy for the Ukraine war, Witkoff frequently travels to Russia to meet with Putin and convey Israel’s will to Putin. (Trump, Putin To Meet As Soon As Next Week In Potential Breakthrough）（Expansion of Israel’s Hegemony)
16. Netanyahu has proposed a military occupation of the entire Gaza Strip. (Gaza has been outside the Israeli occupation since 2005, when Prime Minister Sharon initiated the Palestinian isolation policy.) While the full picture is still unclear, it seems likely that Israel’s plan to eliminate Palestine will enter a new phase, with the US and Russia cooperating on this issue. That seems why Trump and Putin are to meet next week. （Netanyahu senior officials say occupation of Gaza is next step, with US approval）[Netanyahu confirms intent to occupy all of Gaza, against advice of his military] [Israeli Security Cabinet Approves Netanyahu’s Plan to Occupy Gaza City]
17. The US and UK Intelligence Community, which has been the center of the world covert politics, has actually been taken over by Israel (Likud faction). Trump and Putin are trying to enhance their own intelligence capabilities by cooperating with Israel. It now feels as though the US, Russia, and Israel are a hidden security alliance (bloc).  （Gaza massacre as a ploy to crush the British-affiliated powers/英国系潰し策としてのガザ虐殺）（Putin, Netanyahu Hold Second Phone Call in Two Weeks）  [The Secret World of Anglo-American Intelligence]    [Israeli Intelligence Communit]    [An Overview of the Israeli Intelligence Community]    [Israeli Military Intelligence Goes Back to Basics With Focus on Spies, Not Tech]

Notes:

1. The hyperlinks with the parentheses ( ) at the end of some paragraphs were added by the original author. Those hyperlinks in the paragraphs and those with brackets [ ], with the italic letters at the end of some paragraphs were added by the translator for the convenience of the reader.
2. The views and/or opinions in those hyperlinks added by the translator do not necessarily reflect those of his. In addition, it is either impossible or unavailable for the translator to verify the genuineness of the information in those links. He does not take any responsibility for the contents in those relevant links at all.
3. The paragraph number was added to the head of each paragraph (except to that of the first paragraph) by the translator for the convenience of the reader.
4. One or a few supplementary words, phrases or sentences in Italic letters without underlines in brackets [ ] were added to show the original author’s message in some contexts or sentences clearer where deemed necessary, while the essential meaning in the message was retained, neither modified nor changed at all. 
5. The views and/or opinions expressed in the above-mentioned article are those of Sakai Tanaka, who is the original author. His views and/or opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Transcend Media Service (TMS) or those of the translator. Therefore, the reader is kindly requested to understand, interpret or judge those views and/or opinions at his or her own responsibility.
6. The original article in Japanese was published more than a few days or a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, the situations and/or conditions mentioned in the article might have been changed. This also means that the author’s argument expressed and/or the information provided in the article might have become inadequate or less or least adequate, obsolete, out of date or no longer valid by the time the TMS reader reads the same article in English. 

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Original author: After graduating from university, Sakai Tanaka started working at the Kyodo News  Agency in 1986. From 1997 he joined Microsoft Network (MSN) and in 1999, due to change of policy at Microsoft, he became an independent journalist. Tanaka has published more than twenty books on international affairs, some translated and published in China, South Korea and Taiwan. He studied at Harvard University from 2000 to 2001 and in 2005 was invited to serve as a senior researcher at the Royal Faisal Institute in Saudi Arabia. Website: tanakanews.com

Satoshi Ashikaga is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment. Having worked as researcher, development program/project officer, legal protection/humanitarian assistance officer, human rights monitor-negotiator, managing-editor, and more, he prefers a peaceful and prudent life.  His previous work experiences, including those in war zones and war-torn zones, constantly remind him of the invaluableness of peace.

Translation: Satoshi Ashikaga – Google Translate

Original in Japanese: ウソの敵対を演じる米露

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 11 Aug 2025.

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