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Abstract
The 2024 U.S. Presidential election shows a convergence in narratives between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in calling for the United States to withdraw military support for Ukraine. While the two leaders have different motivations for this messaging, the result could likely be a significant reduction of U.S. military aid to Ukraine if Trump is elected. This makes Election 2024 the most significant U.S. election for Russia in modern history. This paper highlights that while Trump and Putin share different goals and strategic narratives – American isolationism vs. Russian global dominance – both leaders broadcast messages to end U.S. military support to Ukraine. This paper posits that it is critical to understand the convergence and divergence between Russian strategic narratives and Trump campaign narratives to both distinguish and anticipate Russian propaganda flow into U.S. news.