2. Anticipating the Adversary at the Backdoor: Perceptions of Subversion in Russian–American Relations

Mutual accusation of interference in domestic affairs is a recurrent theme in Russian–American relations. The aim of the Chapter is to disclose the roots of mutual suspicions in this area. Before exploring interactions between Moscow and Washington, it first strives to define political subversion in general terms. It also recurs to the instances of foreign intrusion in domestic affairs during the Cold War to examine attributes of this strategy. After that, it tracks the rise of Russian concerns towards US policies since the 1990s and demonstrates how Moscow’s reaction triggered anxiety in the West. The development of mutual mistrust between Moscow and Washington followed a well-known model of the ‘security dilemma’ and despite initial asymmetries by late 2010s it produced the current balance of concerns.