Russian Expert Says Trump Prioritizes Economy Over Geopolitics

Tatiana Kukhareva claims Trump's decisions are driven by money and commodities, not ideology.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Russian strategic expert Tatiana Kukhareva says that US President Donald Trump's approach prioritizes the economy and money over geopolitics. She claims Trump will ease sanctions if it suits his economic interests, as evidenced by the recent 30-day waiver for India to purchase Russian oil. Kukhareva also points to the US raid on Venezuela as an example of how far Trump will go to obtain commodities. She believes Trump's narratives are aimed at his domestic audience rather than achieving stated foreign policy goals.

Why it matters

Kukhareva's analysis provides insight into how Trump's transactional, 'America First' approach to foreign policy differs from traditional geopolitical considerations. Her comments suggest Trump is more concerned with economic gain than ideological positioning, which could have significant implications for US relations with Russia, India, Venezuela, and other countries.

The details

According to Kukhareva, the US Treasury Department's 30-day waiver for India to buy Russian oil is about economics, not geopolitics. She says Trump has been clear from the beginning that he prioritizes the economy and money over other factors. Kukhareva also points to the recent US military raid in Venezuela to capture former President Nicolas Maduro as an example of how far Trump will go to obtain commodities. She believes Trump's narratives are aimed at his domestic audience rather than achieving stated foreign policy goals.

  • The US Treasury Department issued a 30-day waiver for India to purchase Russian oil on March 7, 2026.
  • The US military raid in Venezuela to capture former President Nicolas Maduro occurred recently.

The players

Tatiana Kukhareva

A Russian strategic expert who provided analysis on President Trump's foreign policy approach.

Donald Trump

The current President of the United States, whose economic-focused foreign policy approach is the subject of Kukhareva's analysis.

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What they’re saying

“It was very clear that it's not really about Russian oil. Trump has been clear from the very beginning that he is about the economy, that he's about money... We've seen how he negotiates. He does it the same way every time, and nothing has changed in all of these years.”

— Tatiana Kukhareva, Russian strategic expert (ANI)

“The whole shebang with Venezuela showed us just how far he would go to get his hands on commodities... If he is sticking to the geo-economic angle of what he's doing, then as soon as he hits the actual target, we're going to see the narrative reverse.”

— Tatiana Kukhareva, Russian strategic expert (ANI)

What’s next

The upcoming US midterm elections in 2026 will be a key test for President Trump, as Kukhareva believes he needs to secure a win to maintain his agenda. If the Democrats take back even one house of Congress, it will make Trump's position more difficult.

The takeaway

Kukhareva's analysis suggests that under Trump, US foreign policy has become increasingly driven by economic and transactional considerations rather than traditional geopolitical factors. This shift could have significant implications for US relations with countries like Russia, India, and Venezuela going forward.