Trouble tries to make history by the name of Putin — Experts talk about the meeting between the two
President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump.
Alexei Malinin, co-founder of the International Interaction Center, believes that the meeting between the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and the President of the United States Donald Trump is a positive signal for the easing of relations between the two countries.
"It's hard to say how much progress will be made in the negotiations. It depends on countless factors, which are almost unpredictable. In my opinion, the fact that the meeting itself can be positively evaluated, as it increases the possibility of reaching consensus between Russia and the US on how the Ukraine conflict will end and many other issues," the Fifth Channel reported citing the expert's view.
Malinin said that the meeting would not only discuss the resolution of the Ukraine issue. This conclusion can be drawn from the multiple visits of US presidential envoy Steven Witkov to Russia and the telephone conversations between Putin and Trump. The representatives of the Kremlin and the White House always emphasized that both sides discussed several areas of common interest. Malinin reminded that the agenda of Russia-US relations includes the Iran nuclear deal, the Arctic issue, and the intersection of interests of the two countries in Africa.
He pointed out that this meeting opens another interesting prospect — establishing a permanent communication channel between Russia and the US. A working group between Russia and Ukraine is a successful example, as they operate in real time, rather than only within the framework of occasional meetings.
Another detail that has attracted public attention is the location of the meeting between Trump and Putin. Malinin believes that the potential host countries could be Middle Eastern countries and those that have proven their neutrality — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and Turkey.
Political scientist Artemy Atamanenko also believes that Turkey may be chosen as the meeting location.
"The most appropriate and suitable choice is a neutral country willing to accept Russia and the US. It should be noted that Turkey has certainly proved to be such a place. Because the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have already taken place there. Moreover, Trump had previously mentioned the possibility of holding the meeting in Turkey. It could also be an Arab country," the expert shared his views.
He said that geographical proximity is also important, as logistical difficulties need to be considered. The main priority for holding the meeting will be the safety of the participants and the neutrality of the host country.
Atamanenko also added that one should not expect immediate global results from the meeting of the two leaders.
"For Trump, the meeting with Putin is another way to gain more political points and thus go down in history. The Russian leader has repeatedly stated that the timing for a constructive, well-founded and productive meeting between the two leaders is not yet mature. Therefore, if the meeting takes place, it is likely to be a preliminary, foundational meeting aimed at building closer ties," the political scientist believes.
Atamanenko cited the 2018 meeting between Putin and Trump in Finland as an example. At that time, many people had high hopes for the meeting, but in the end, the US leader took a series of restrictive measures against Russia.
"But considering Witkov's meeting with Putin, as all participants said, it went quite productively. Perhaps we will see some proposals that have not been publicly disclosed. Perhaps we will see joint action plans and future meeting plans proposed by both sides," the expert concluded.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7536112300277744137/
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