Washington – The United States halts cyber operations against Russia and hastens a Trump-Putin summit, forging a détente to counter China’s ascent. This realignment, evident today, March 03, 2025, exposes America’s intent to reshape global alliances.
Cyber Halt Signals U.S.-Russia Thaw
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed U.S. Cyber Command to suspend offensive cyber operations against Russia in late February, the Washington Post reports. Stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland, the command’s 2,000-3,000 staff paused actions to aid Ukraine peace talks. “I have seen many times when we are in some type of negotiation with another nation, especially if it’s one that is considered an adversary, that we stop operations,” retired Lt. Gen. Charlie Moore, former Cyber Command deputy commander, told the Post. The pause persists as talks advance, though NSA intelligence collection continues.
This gesture hints at reconciliation. Yet, it serves America’s aim to lure Russia from China’s orbit. Former diplomat James A. Lewis cautioned the Washington Post, “If we take our foot off the gas pedal and they take advantage of it, we could put national security at risk.”
Trump-Putin Summit Surges Ahead
A Trump-Putin summit gains speed, CNN reveals, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s White House clash last Friday. After talks in Riyadh and Istanbul, embassies regained staff, reversing prior expulsions. “Nothing has been announced in public. But, privately, there’s talk of the Trump-Putin summit, always on the cards, now being fast-tracked,” CNN’s Monday report states. Moscow eyes economic deals over Ukraine’s war, per CNN’s addition, “There is also renewed optimism in Moscow that, with President Zelensky at odds with President Trump and his team, difficult negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will now take a back seat to a raft of potentially lucrative US-Russia economic deals.”
Rubio-Lavrov Talks Fuel Détente
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in February 2025, Reuters notes, pushing sanctions relief and peace efforts. Rubio highlighted Russia’s reliance on China, stating, “Russia чересчур зависит от Китая [Russia overly relies on China],” per russian.news.cn’s February 27 report. “U.S. aims to ‘peel Russia off of China,’” Rubio added, cited by X user @tonychinaupdate on February 26. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian fired back on February 27, declaring, “Попытки США вбить клин между Китаем и Россией обречены на провал [U.S. attempts to drive a wedge between China and Russia are doomed to fail],” via russian.news.cn.
These talks mimic Nixon’s 1972 China split. However, Russia’s autonomy challenges U.S. assumptions.
U.S.-Russia Détente Targets Chinese Containment
This détente extends America’s campaign against China, begun with Obama’s 2011 Pivot to Asia. The proposed Istanbul summit will attempt to end Ukraine’s war, easing Russia’s need for Chinese support. “The U.S. shift [is] seen as an attempt to peel Russia away from Beijing,” the South China Morning Post reported on February 22. “The White House and its China super hawks seem to believe that they can work with Russia to isolate China from the world and damage its increasing global presence,” the Council on Foreign Relations wrote on February 19. “The quick upending of U.S.-Russia ties has led some experts to speculate whether Trump is attempting to pull off a ‘reverse Nixon,’” the Washington Post observed on February 25.
China stands firm. “U.S. attempts to put a wedge between Moscow and Beijing are ‘doomed to fail,’” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated on February 27.
Global Stakes Rise
Risks loom large. Lewis warned the Washington Post, “Russia continues to be among the top cyberthreats to the United States,” suggesting Moscow could exploit this lull. Iran’s role shifts too. “Russia is trying to force Iran to come to the negotiating table and prevent a war,” Javad Heirannia, director of the Persian Gulf Studies at Tehran’s Center for Scientific Research and Middle East Strategic Studies, told Newsweek. Russia’s January 17 treaty with Iran lacks firm commitments, per Andrey Baklanov, a Middle East specialist and professor at Moscow’s National Research University Higher School of Economics, who told Newsweek, “These provisions are formulated very carefully and cautiously.”
What This Means
The U.S.-Russia détente hinges on cyber halts, a looming Trump-Putin summit, and Rubio-Lavrov talks—all aimed at Chinese containment. America bets on economic bait to sway Russia, sacrificing Ukraine’s role for strategic gain. Russia weighs options, potentially juggling West and East. China resists, its alliance with Moscow tested but intact. Smaller nations like Ukraine bear the cost, exposing a world where superpower agendas trump stability.
