Part 4/7:
In weighing the current actions of the Trump administration, Dr. Brands expressed cautious optimism regarding efforts to exert pressure on Iran, describing it as the weakest link in the autocratic coalition. He suggested that if handled properly, the U.S. could leverage this pressure to negotiate a more favorable nuclear deal than what was previously achieved during the Obama administration.
However, he voiced skepticism regarding the idea of driving a wedge between Russia and China. Past notions have floated that Russia could be coaxed into cooperating with the West to counterbalance China. Dr. Brands warned that such a notion overlooks the deep-seated dependency that Russia has developed on China.