Russia formally declares the US as 'enemy'. What next?

After months of rising tensions over Ukraine between Russia and the US, bilateral relations have hit a new low as the Kremlin spokesperson defined the US an "enemy."

Press secretary to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov reportedly said, “We are now an enemy country for them, just as they are for us,” during a press briefing on Tuesday.

The Kremlin had previously referred to the US and Western nations supporting Ukraine as "unfriendly states" or "opponents" due to high tensions over Ukraine’s use of American-supplied weapons on Russian territory.

However, according to Agentstvo, an independent Russian investigative site, this is the first time they have publicly labelled the US as an "enemy" state.

Speaking to TRT World, experts said there's actually “nothing new here” because publicly stated or not, “the United States has long been considered by Russia as its enemy.”

Proxy wars likely to continue

Matthew Bryza, former US diplomat and the United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan said, “I have no concerns regarding the recent statement because Russia's national security and military doctrines both in 2014 and 2022 identified the United States as Russia's primary foe or enemy.”

“The ultimate goal is to sow divisions within the NATO alliance, pulling its members away from each other and, particularly, from the United States,” he added.

Bryzka believes that Russia’s aim is “to intimidate European NATO members into believing that the United States is recklessly dragging them into a conflict with Russia.”

Ali Fuat Gokce, from Gaziantep University, on the other hand, perceives the US’ infiltration attempts into Russia's mainland, often utilising NATO, are perceived as a threat by Russia.

“Despite being established as a defence organisation, NATO has become a tool for the expansionist policies of the US, posing a threat to non-NATO countries or those opposed to the US, such as Russia and China.”

However, he suggests that the US and Russia will not directly engage in armed conflict with their own armed forces.

According to Gokce, any conflict between the US and Russia “has been conducted through proxy states or organisations”.

“Historically, the US has always used proxy forces against Russia, while Russia has countered by supporting groups fighting against US imperialism. This reliance on proxy forces will likely continue.”

Even though NATO is utilised, Gokce believes “there will always be a force to wage war,” and adds “Considering that the US aims to weaken Russia and China, a prolonged conflict could be expected to be a war of attrition.”

What sparked the ‘enemy’ comment?

Peskov's “enemy” comments followed allegations by former American intelligence officer Scott Ritter that he was barred from entering St Petersburg and had his passport confiscated by border officials.

Peskov's response to reporters emphasised that recent actions aimed at preventing Americans from engaging with Russia would only be justified if they were directly linked to Ritter's previous intelligence activities.

Otherwise, Peskov suggested, it would simply be perceived as another instance of a concerted effort to isolate Russia.

Scott Ritter, a former US Marine Corps intelligence officer with a conviction for sexual offences, asserted to TASS that he was removed from a New York-Istanbul flight while en route to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia.

Ritter has often been quoted in Russian state media, echoing the Kremlin's views on the war in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, the Kremlin's rhetoric has intensified, with Peskov now labelling the US as an "enemy state" following President Biden's authorization for Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons to target Russian territory.