For decades, the hidden hand of American foreign policy has pursued one consistent objective: preventing Russia and the United States from ever becoming genuine allies.

Yes, Vladimir Putin is a former KGB officer, and yes, his leadership has inflicted significant damage on nations across the globe. But it is equally true that the United States, often under the broad banner of “national security,” has also waged interventions with devastating consequences.

The possibility of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin reaching an agreement to resolve the ongoing war abroad carries with it a profound potential. If such a settlement were followed by efforts to strengthen both the American and Russian economies in a way that gave each nation a vested interest in the other’s prosperity, the result could be transformative — perhaps even ushering in an era of unprecedented stability.

To many Americans, conditioned for generations to view Russia as an existential adversary, this may sound far-fetched, even naïve. After all, much of the media spent years painting Trump and his administration as compromised by Moscow.

But the real question remains:

Who benefits from keeping the U.S. and Russia locked in perpetual hostility? And why are there so many forces determined to prevent these two nations from forging a future as allies rather than enemies?