Russia Formally Declares the US as an "Enemy" State

In a significant escalation of already strained relations, Russia has officially labeled the United States as an "enemy" state. 

This unprecedented move was confirmed by Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary to Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a press briefing. 

Peskov stated, “We are now an enemy country for them, just as they are for us,” marking a new low in the bilateral relations between the two superpowers.

The Kremlin had previously referred to the US and Western nations supporting Ukraine as "unfriendly states" or "opponents" due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

These tensions have been exacerbated by Ukraine’s use of American-supplied weapons on Russian territory. 

However, this recent statement marks the first time the Kremlin has publicly designated the US as an "enemy" state, according to the independent Russian investigative site Agentstvo.

Experts consulted by TRT World suggested that this formal designation does not represent a significant shift in Russia's longstanding perception of the US. 

Matthew Bryza, a former US diplomat and Ambassador to Azerbaijan, stated, “I have no concerns regarding the recent statement because Russia's national security and military doctrines both in 2014 and 2022 identified the United States as Russia's primary foe or enemy.”

Bryza further elaborated that Russia’s strategic goal remains to sow divisions within NATO and create rifts between the United States and its European allies.

Ali Fuat Gokce of Gaziantep University provided additional context, noting that the US’s attempts to exert influence within Russia’s sphere, often through NATO, are viewed as significant threats by Russia. 

Gokce highlighted that despite NATO’s original defensive mandate, it has increasingly been perceived by Russia as a tool of US expansionist policies, posing threats not only to Russia but also to China and other non-NATO countries.

Despite this escalation in rhetoric, both experts agreed that a direct armed conflict between the US and Russia is unlikely. 

Gokce emphasized that historical patterns indicate that both nations prefer to engage through proxy forces and states. 

He explained that this method of indirect conflict allows both superpowers to pursue their geopolitical objectives without direct military confrontation, predicting that this reliance on proxy conflicts will likely continue.

The immediate trigger for Peskov's "enemy" declaration appears to be linked to recent events involving Scott Ritter, a former American intelligence officer. 

Ritter claimed he was barred from entering Russia and had his passport confiscated, an incident that Peskov addressed by suggesting that actions aimed at preventing Americans from engaging with Russia would be justified only if directly linked to intelligence activities.

Ritter, who has been a vocal critic of US policies and often quoted by Russian state media, alleged that he was removed from a flight en route to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. 

This incident, coupled with President Biden’s authorization for Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons against Russian territory, seems to have intensified the Kremlin's hostile rhetoric.

As relations between the US and Russia continue to deteriorate, the formal designation of the US as an "enemy" state by Russia underscores the deepening divide and the potential for further geopolitical instability. 

This development reflects the heightened tensions and the complex interplay of military, political, and strategic interests that define the current state of US-Russia relations.