In the United States, Russophobia manifests in two distinct forms: right-liberal (McCarthyite) and left-liberal (Trotskyist and neocon).

There are two kinds of Russophobia in US: right-liberal (MacCarthy style) and left-liberal (Trozkyism and neocons). First is anticommunism in general (Stalin included) . The other is anti-Stalinism par excellence, but still Marxist, internationalist and progressive.

We can prove that modern Russia is conservative Christian country with traditional values and dissociate Russia from Stalinist past. It can work with right wing America, MAGA. But the same argument only exacerbates the hatred and Russophobia among the American Left.

Liberal trozkyist Left hates Stalinism exactly because it had some non-communist nationalist and imperial features. So left liberal Russophobia is incurable. Right Russophobia can be improved with better knowledge of what contemporary Russia is.

The only exception in the American Right that has deep and incurable Russophobia are neocons. Because they are trozkyists in the core.

They use liberal capitalist American hegemony to internationalise fully the humanity and prepare World Revolution as Trotsky (not Stalin) conceived it. Stalin was national-Bolshevik. Trozky was international-Bolshevik.

All that is reflected in the Trump’s politics vis-a-vis Russia. On one side the conservative ideals and MAGA principles, on the other the pressure of left-liberal progressive Deep State and neocons (like Lindsey Graham or Richard Blumental). That explains Trump’s hesitation.