Changes

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Relations between the United States and the Russian Empire and what eventually became the Soviet Union, and then back to Russia, have evolved tremendously since 1776. Even at the height of the Cold War, the relationship was often complex and sometimes involved cooperation. Russia also gave the United States some of its most significant and valuable territories.

====Early Relationship====

====The Fall of the Russian Empire Period====

The United States did not engage significantly with Russia again until the Russian Civil War in 1918, as they now feared the rise of the Bolshevik. The allies in World War I were concerned with the rise of the Bolshevik, where they actively sent support and even volunteers to fight with the so-called White Movement. The war went badly for the White Movement, and the Red Army proved victories in most regions it fought, forming what would become the Soviet Union. Using its position in Alaska, the United States send support to the Russian Far East. The situation did not stabilize until about 1922, with the United States still refusing to recognize the now established Soviet Union until after 1922. Although the United States sided with the White Movement due to fears for socialism and communism, the rise of the Soviet Union created the first Red Scare with concerns over conspiracies. The fear of radical movements governed how the United States saw the Soviet Union, with the case of Sacco and Vanzetti being an example of fear prevalent in the United States of anyone it saw as potentially radical.<ref>For More on the Russian Empire and its fall, see: Riga, Liliana. 2012. <i>The Bolsheviks and the Russian Empire</i>. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. </ref>

====Post-Cold War Period====

During the period of Boris Yeltsin (1991-1999), the now newly created Russian state experience widespread corruption and economic weakness. Russian initially opened itself to the United States and other countries, seeking economic assistance. With privatization, corruption only increased as the so-called oligarchs and others began to take hold of Russia's major economic assets, initially at meager prices. In the United States, much of the period was seen as euphoric as it ended the Cold War, but problems in Russia required a new political change, leading to the rise of Vladimir Putin in 2000.

Since the 1990s, the United States increasingly took unilateral actions that had begun to provoke Russia. This increased after September 1lth, with the Iraq War in 2003 and other issues becoming significant sources of dispute between the countries. Russia increasingly saw the United States as too unilateral. The expansion of NATO had also been a constant source of tension. In 2010, Obama and Medvedev did begin to mend relations, signing new treaties to limit nuclear weapons. Tensions once again increased after 2012, with the War in Syria, the Edward Snowden Affair, accusations of violations on nuclear agreements, and general increased Russian assertiveness internationally and in its immediate region being among the issues of tension. The United States also sanctioned Russia after in 2014 after Russia seized Crimea and supported a military conflict in eastern Ukraine. The sanctions targeted alleged associates of the Vladimir Putin.

During the 2016 Presidential election, Donald Trump openly asked Russia to hack Hillary Clinton. There have been several allegations that Donald Trump or his campaign conspired with Russia to hack the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign. Additionally, substantial documentary evidence has leaked that Donald Trump's company was in negotiations with the Russian government to build a Trump Tower in Moscow until August of 2016 near the end of the presidential campaign.<ref>Buzzfeed News, "Trump’s Lawyer Said There Were “No Plans” For Trump Tower Moscow. Here They Are." (January 22, 2019), https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/azeenghorayshi/here-are-the-trump-moscow-plans</ref>

====Summary====

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