MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. As US president, Donald Trump will focus on countering China's rising global influence instead of fighting Russia in Ukraine, said Andrey Bezrukov, a member of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.

"The view of many Republicans is that China should be considered the real adversary of the United States. The distraction of Europe, including the war with Russia in the Ukrainian theater, is a diversion for the 'wrong objective' that prevents the United States from focusing on its main adversary - China - and shifting its resources to it," said the analyst, who is also a professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. "It can be guaranteed that the US will seriously deal with China, both economically and politically."

"Trump's supporters propose to leave the European conflict to the Europeans, but that does not mean that the US will leave Europe. It means that it will 'pass the baton' to the Europeans," Bezrukov explained.

"Trump previously promised that he would dramatically pivot the US focus away from NATO and work with individual countries - Poland, Germany, and others - rather than the organization. He will not necessarily honor that promise. The US will never leave NATO, as the North Atlantic Alliance simply cannot exist without Washington, although a redistribution of responsibilities and a change of focus are possible," Bezrukov said.

He said it’s an open question how much resources the United States will spend on the European track, and whether during Trump’s tenure NATO will become a global organization that will expand to the Pacific region.

According to the analyst, the ideological split between Trump and European elites will remain.

"It is obvious that the EU elites hate Trump and do not understand him. However, judging by how quickly [French President Emmanuel] Macron flipped and congratulated Trump on his victory, the others will do the same," Bezrukov said.

The US held a presidential election on November 5. The vote tally has not yet officially ended, but according to US news media, Trump already garnered about 300 electoral votes, while at least 270 are required to win. He has already declared himself the 47th US president. His Democratic rival Kamala Harris conceded the race and referred to him as president-elect.