Russia–United States relations
Official contacts between the Russian Empire and the new United States began in 1776. Russia remained formally neutral during the American Revolution, which lasted from 1765 to 1783. Despite this neutrality, historical records show that Russia favored the U.S. cause against its geopolitical rival, the United Kingdom. Formal diplomatic ties were not established until 1809. During the American Civil War, a significant moment occurred when the Russian Navy's Baltic and Pacific fleets wintered in American ports. The fleet stationed at New York while another division anchored in San Francisco in 1863. This gesture supported the Union largely because it served as a counterbalance to British power. Russia also operated small fur-trade operations in Alaska coupled with missionaries to native populations. By 1861, the project had lost money and could not be defended from Britain. It proved practically impossible to entice Russians to permanently migrate to Alaska; only a few hundred people lived there in 1867. In the Alaska Purchase of 1867, the land was sold to the United States for $7.2 million. The Russian administrators and military left Alaska, but some missionaries stayed on to minister to the many natives who converted to the Russian Orthodox faith.
The United States and Soviet Russia established diplomatic relations in November 1933. Before this recognition, the U.S. was the last major world power to refuse formal acknowledgment of the Soviet government. Following World War II, the onset of the Cold War in 1947 led to the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on the 4th of April 1949. This treaty established NATO designed to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. The first bilateral treaty between the two nations was a consular convention signed in Moscow in June 1964. In 1975, the Helsinki Final Act was signed by a multitude of countries including the USSR and the US. While lacking binding legal power, it signified Western recognition of Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe. During the 1970s and 1980s, both nations signed arms control treaties such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 1972. They also agreed to Strategic Arms Limitation treaties known as SALT and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987. On the 3rd of December 1989, Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. president George H. W. Bush declared the Cold War over at the Malta Summit. Both countries agreed to cut strategic nuclear weapons by 30 percent. The Soviet Union promised to reduce its intercontinental ballistic missile force by 50 percent.
On the 25th of December 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved after Gorbachev resigned as general secretary of the Communist party. Russia assumed the Soviet Union's UN membership and permanent seat on the Security Council along with its nuclear stockpile. Russian president Boris Yeltsin met with U.S. president George H. W. Bush in February 1992 declaring a new era of friendship and partnership. In January 1993, they agreed to START II which provided for further nuclear arms reductions. Relations between Yeltsin and the administrations of George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton started off well but deteriorated after 1997. Washington encouraged rapid transition to a liberal capitalist system in Russia. Clinton provided rich talking points but less than $3 billion while much was paid to American contractors. Russians had counted on far larger sums similar to the Marshall Plan in the 1940s. A 1995 NATO study on enlarging the alliance alarmed Russia. The 1999 admission of Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland into NATO caused deep concern. On the 21st of March 1997, Yeltsin stated to Bill Clinton that it remained a mistake for NATO to move eastward. He said he needed to take steps to alleviate negative consequences for Russia. By 1999, relations became strained again during the NATO intervention in Kosovo.
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev struck a warm tone at the 2009 G20 summit in London with U.S. president Barack Obama. They released a joint statement promising a fresh start in Russia-United States relations. In March 2009, U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton and her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov symbolically pressed a reset button. The gag fell short as the Russian translation on the button misspelled meant overload instead of reset. After making jokes they decided to press the button anyway to symbolize friendship. In early July 2009, Obama visited Moscow where he had meetings with President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin. Speaking at the New Economic School Obama told a large gathering that America wanted a strong peaceful and prosperous Russia. In March 2010, the United States and Russia reached an agreement to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons. The new treaty called New START was signed by President Obama and President Medvedev on the 8th of April 2010. The agreement cut long-range nuclear weapons held by each side to about 1,500 down from 1,700 to 2,200 set by the Moscow Treaty of 2002. By 2012 it was clear that a genuine reset never happened and relations remained sour.
Following the collapse of Viktor Yanukovych government in Ukraine in February 2014, Russia annexed Crimea based on a controversial referendum held on the 16th of March 2014. U.S. secretary of state John Kerry said this act of aggression was completely trumped up in terms of its pretext. On the 24th of March 2014, the U.S. and allies in the G8 political forum suspended Russia's membership thereof. From March 2014 to 2016 six rounds of sanctions were imposed by the U.S. as well as by the EU. The first three rounds targeted individuals close to Putin by freezing assets and denying entry. Russia responded by banning import of certain food products as well as banning entry for certain government officials. In early June 2015, the U.S. State Department reported that Russia had failed to correct violation of the INF Treaty. On the 30th of September 2015, Russia began an air campaign in Syria on the side of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Three weeks into the Russian campaign, Vladimir Putin met Bashar al-Assad in Moscow to discuss their joint military campaign. Bilateral negotiations over Syria were unilaterally suspended by the U.S. on the 3rd of October 2016.
In mid-November 2016 shortly after Trump election the Kremlin accused Obama administration of trying to damage U.S.-Russia relations. President-elect Donald Trump rejected CIA assessment that Russia was behind hackers efforts to sway campaign as ridiculous. A week after Trump inauguration on the 20th of January 2017, he had a 52-minute telephone conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin. They agreed to arrange a face-to-face meeting for later date. In April 2017, Trump's administration denied request from ExxonMobil to resume oil drilling in Russia. On the 10th of May 2017, Trump had unannounced meeting in Oval Office with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador Sergey Kislyak. During this meeting he disclosed highly classified information providing details that could deduce source of information. On July 28, Russia announced punitive measures cast as response to additional sanctions passed by Congress days prior. Two days later Vladimir Putin said decision on curtailment of U.S. diplomatic mission personnel taken personally. He stated 755 staff must terminate work in Russia. By end of 2017 CNN concluded steps undertaken highlighted decided turn away from warmer relationship.
Common questions
When did official contacts between the Russian Empire and the United States begin?
Official contacts between the Russian Empire and the new United States began in 1776. Russia remained formally neutral during the American Revolution which lasted from 1765 to 1783.
What happened when the Russian Navy wintered in American ports during the Civil War?
The Russian Navy's Baltic and Pacific fleets wintered in American ports in 1863 with one division stationed at New York and another anchored in San Francisco. This gesture supported the Union largely because it served as a counterbalance to British power.
How much was Alaska sold for in the 1867 purchase by the United States?
In the Alaska Purchase of 1867, the land was sold to the United States for $7.2 million. Only a few hundred people lived there in 1867 before Russian administrators and military left Alaska.
On what date did the Soviet Union dissolve after Gorbachev resigned?
On the 25th of December 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved after Gorbachev resigned as general secretary of the Communist party. Russia assumed the Soviet Union's UN membership and permanent seat on the Security Council along with its nuclear stockpile.
When did Vladimir Putin meet Bashar al-Assad to discuss their joint military campaign in Syria?
Three weeks into the Russian air campaign which began on the 30th of September 2015, Vladimir Putin met Bashar al-Assad in Moscow to discuss their joint military campaign. Bilateral negotiations over Syria were unilaterally suspended by the U.S. on the 3rd of October 2016.