• Growing divide between the US and Europe could trigger a ‘revolution’ in international relations, says director of the Russian Institute of Political Studies

MOSCOW

Populist forces in the US are headed for a clash with Europe’s entrenched political establishment, and their victory would be in Russia’s interests, according to a former adviser to President Vladimir Putin.

Sergey Markov, director of the Moscow-based Russian Institute of Political Studies, sees the growing divide between the US and Europe fueled by the new Trump administration as a transformative moment that could trigger a “revolution” in international relations.

“The US has once again proven itself a leader in democracy because, unlike Europe, populists have managed to gain power there,” Markov said in an interview with Anadolu.

“These populists, with their emphasis on traditional values and a desire for peace, align more closely with Russia’s worldview. Their victory, therefore, is in Russia’s interests.”

Markov’s remarks were in the wake of the Munich Security Conference, which has historically served as a symbol of transatlantic unity.

However, this year’s gathering painted a starkly different picture, as US Vice President JD Vance delivered a speech calling out Europe for its internal weaknesses, signaling what many see as a shift in American priorities.

As Vance’s remarks draw backlash from European officials, his boss, President Donald Trump, is now directly trading barbs with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him “a dictator without elections” among other things.

The US has also sidelined both Ukraine and Europe from direct talks with Russia to end the war, which enters its fourth year next Monday.

Washington and Moscow’s top diplomats and other officials met in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Tuesday for talks that the two sides have hailed as positive and productive – despite concerns and criticism from Kyiv and other European capitals.

Zelenskyy, miffed at not being included in the negotiations and Trump’s claims about his approval ratings, said on Wednesday: “We have seen this disinformation, and we understand that it originates from Russia … Unfortunately, Trump is trapped in this space of misinformation.”

Power struggle within Western bloc

After Trump and Zelenskyy’s testy exchange, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Thursday said “inappropriate statements” by Zelenskky and other Ukrainian officials about foreign heads of states are “unacceptable.”

Earlier, Foreign Minister Lavrov described Vance’s rebuke to Europe as “a reflection of an evolving recognition of the multipolar world order.”

For Markov, the growing divide between the US and Europe is a clear strategic advantage from Russia’s perspective.

He described the Western alliance as a coalition waging war against Russia, with 52 nations involved in supporting Ukraine, which Moscow considers an illegitimate and hostile entity.

“The more divisions within this coalition, the better for Russia,” he said.

Markov argued that the real conflict exposed at the Munich event was not just between the US and Europe but also within both entities.

He described the modern West as an informal “empire” dominated by two key forces: “a corporatocracy where major corporations wield significant influence, and a bureaucratic ‘deep state’ that has sidelined traditional political leaders over the past three decades.”

In Europe, he said, economic stagnation and declining living standards have fueled the rise of populist movements, such as Alternative for Germany (AfD), Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in France, and Nigel Farage’s Reform Party in Britain.

However, these movements, despite being a direct response to growing public dissatisfaction, have been unable to secure power in Europe, unlike in the US, said Markov.