You’ve seen the headlines. You’ve probably heard the heated debates at dinner tables or scrolled through the endless stream of "breaking news" alerts on your phone. It’s the question that seems to loop every few decades like a bad song: are Russia and US allies?
Honestly, the short answer is a flat no. Not in the way we usually think of allies, like the "BFF" energy the US shares with the UK or Canada. But the long answer? That’s where things get weird, messy, and surprisingly complicated. Especially now, in early 2026, as we watch a second Trump administration try to flip the script on years of deep-freeze hostility.
The Reality Check: Allies vs. Adversaries
Technically, an "ally" is someone you have a formal treaty with—a promise to jump into a fight if they get hit. The US has that with NATO. Russia? Russia is on the outside of that circle, often looking in with a fair bit of resentment.
Right now, the relationship is a bizarre cocktail of "normalized" diplomatic talk and heavy-duty tension. We aren't in the 1940s anymore, where we fought Hitler together. We also aren't exactly in 2022, when the world felt like it was on the brink of a total blackout. As of January 2026, the US and Russia are "adversaries who occasionally talk." Think of it like two neighbors who have a pending lawsuit against each other but still agree not to burn the whole block down.
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One of the few remaining threads holding the two together is the New START Treaty. It’s the last big deal that limits nuclear weapons. It was supposed to expire, but it’s been the one thing both sides—no matter how much they dislike each other—refuse to let go of because, well, nobody wants a nuclear winter. Even that is on thin ice, with the current extension set to hit its limit on February 4, 2026.
Why Everyone Is Confused Right Now
The confusion about whether are Russia and US allies usually stems from the wild swings in American foreign policy. Under the Biden administration, things were about as cold as a Siberian winter. Sanctions were flying, and the rhetoric was sharp.
Then came 2025. With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the "vibe" changed almost overnight.
- The US started moving to normalize relations.
- In February 2025, the US actually voted against a UN resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine—a move that sent shockwaves through Europe.
- Talks about ending the war in Ukraine have become the focal point of the DC-Moscow dialogue.
But "normalizing" isn't the same as being "allies." You can be on speaking terms with your ex without wanting to move back in together. Vladimir Putin still talks about NATO expansion as a "direct response" to Western aggression. Meanwhile, the US just seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a move that Russia called "armed aggression."
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It’s a push-and-pull. A dance on a razor's edge.
Are Russia and US Allies in the History Books?
If you go back far enough, the answer changes. Most people forget that the US and Russia have actually been on the same side before.
The "Unlikely" Friendship of WWII
During World War II, the Soviet Union (which Russia was the heart of) and the US were the "Big Two." We sent them $11 billion in trucks, planes, and food through the Lend-Lease Act. We needed their boots on the ground to crush the Nazis; they needed our factory power.
But even then, it was a marriage of convenience. The moment the common enemy was gone, the "Iron Curtain" fell. We spent the next forty years playing a global game of "chicken" known as the Cold War.
The 90s "Reset" That Never Quite Took
After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, there was this brief, shining moment where it looked like the answer to are Russia and US allies might finally be "yes."
Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin were famously filmed laughing together. There was talk of Russia joining the G7 (which it did, briefly) and even whispers about them joining NATO. But it didn't stick. The 2000s brought Putin to power, and with him, a renewed desire to see Russia as a superpower that didn't need to play by Washington's rules.
The Friction Points: Why We Can't Just Get Along
If you're wondering why we can't just shake hands and move on, it's because the "to-do" list of grievances is about ten miles long.
- Ukraine: This is the big one. Even with the US moving toward a peace deal in 2025 and 2026, the underlying issues haven't vanished. Russia wants a "buffer zone" and a restructured NATO. The US—and especially its European allies—sees that as a threat to the entire world order.
- The "Shadow" Alliances: Russia is getting closer to Iran and North Korea. The US is watching this "Triple Threat" with a lot of anxiety.
- Cyber Warfare: It’s the war that never stops. Hacks, election interference, and digital sabotage happen every single day, often without a single shot being fired.
What This Means for You (The Actionable Part)
So, why does any of this matter to you? Geopolitics isn't just for people in suits in Brussels or DC. It hits your wallet and your world.
Keep an eye on the New START Treaty expiration (Feb 4, 2026).
If this treaty dies, we enter a period of "nuclear blindness." Without inspectors on the ground, the risk of miscalculation goes up. For investors, this usually means market volatility in defense and energy sectors.
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Watch the "Sphere of Influence" shift.
The US is currently emphasizing its own sphere in the Western Hemisphere (like the Venezuela intervention). Russia is using this to justify its own actions in Eastern Europe. If you do business internationally, the world is becoming more "regional." The days of one global market where everyone plays nice are fading.
Don't mistake "normalization" for "alliance."
Even if the US and Russia sign a peace deal over Ukraine, the structural rivalry remains. Don't expect sanctions to vanish overnight or for travel to Russia to become as easy as a trip to London.
The Bottom Line
Russia and the US are currently in a state of managed hostility. We are talking more than we were two years ago, but we are still rivals. The dream of a grand alliance that started in the 90s is pretty much dead. Instead, we are looking at a world of "transactional diplomacy"—deals made in the moment, for the moment, with very little trust to go around.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, stop looking for a "peace treaty" and start looking for "protocols." That’s where the real news is hidden.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Monitor official updates from the U.S. Department of State regarding the status of the New START Treaty before the February deadline.
- Track the Russo-Ukrainian War peace negotiations; any formal agreement will likely redefine the "adversary" status but won't create a military alliance.
- Follow reports from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) for ground-level reality checks that often contradict the political rhetoric coming out of the Kremlin or the White House.