The Russian-American relations are at the lowest point in the past quarter-century. The damage caused to them cannot be repaired by one meeting and a series of handshakes in front of television cameras. But now we need to lay the groundwork for future cooperation, where not only Washington, but also Moscow will benefit.
The visit of US National Security Advisor John Bolton to Moscow is first of all a demonstration of Donald Trump’s decisive mood and his wish to hold a meeting with Vladimir Putin in the near future, in spite of the objections of some members of the Washington establishment and some European allies.
Bolton’s talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin were closed-door. Specific agenda items and possible decisions that could be taken as a result of the summit were discussed, which is evidence of the constructive attitude of Washington and the desire to reach at least modest but concrete results at the summit. According to Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, international security, disarmament, regional problems and bilateral relations were discussed at the meetings.
The parties presumably compared notes and outlined the range of topics where some constructive dialogue is possible: the situation in Syria and in the East of Ukraine, support for the peace process on the Korean peninsula, prospects for the INF and New START treaties. Perhaps, for the Putin-Trump summit, some unexpected topics will also be prepared, for example, the situation around Israel. The topic of Russia’s presumable intervention in the recent US presidential elections, which some American politicians continue to stir up, is likely to remain outside the agenda.
The Russian-American relations are at the lowest point in the past quarter-century. The damage caused to them cannot be repaired by one meeting and a series of handshakes in front of television cameras. Now it is important for both sides to abandon the logic of escalation, stabilize the situation and start building a system of trust, making a series of incremental and even symbolic steps towards each other.
This won’t be easy, as it presumes overcoming the rather strong resistance of some short-sighted politicians in Washington and a number of US allies in Europe, who diligently cultivate Russophobic sentiments, using dirty methods.
It is also important that the decisions taken at the summit are to be exercised, not sabotaged, as the American side has done a number of times. This is the only way to lay the foundation for future Russian-American relations, where not only Washington, but also Moscow will benefit.
