On Monday night the US president-elect Donald Trump spoke with China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. In the conversation with the Chinese leader he emphasized, in particular, that both countries should have “the strongest relationships.” Xi, in his turn, replied, “Facts testify that cooperation is the only correct choice” for the US and China.
However, media focused more on Trump’s conversation with Putin. “During the conversation Putin and Trump not only saw eye-to-eye in their assessment of the current, utterly unsatisfactory state of the Russo-American relationships, but also supported the idea of extensive cooperation to normalize them and initiate constructive interaction on a maximally wide range of issues. In particular, the interlocutors emphasized the importance of creating a reliable basis for bilateral relationships through developing their trade and economic component,” reads a release of the Russian president’s press service. Besides, the release highlights that “Putin and Trump are unanimous on the necessity to unify their efforts in countering the common number-one enemy: international terrorism and extremism. The issues of settlement of the Syrian crisis were also discussed in this key.”
The release also mentions that the parties have agreed to keep their telephone contact and schedule a personal meeting in the future.
Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports that the statement released by Trump’s office said that Putin had called to “offer his congratulations on the victory” and that they had discussed “a wide range of issues including shared threats and challenges the US and Russia face, as well as strategic economic issues, and the long-term relationship between the two nations, which go back more than 200 years.”
Although this statement does not mention Syria or any other concrete issues, it does mention Trump telling Putin that he is very interested “in strong and long-lasting relationships with Russia and the Russian nation.”
Meanwhile some experts start conjecturing that Trump and Putin might develop a mutual liking. “Basically, Trump is an American hawk while Putin is a Russian variety of this character. Trump may have business interests in Russia that Putin may back. Apart from that, Trump may have liked the boldness, stubbornness, and thoroughness of Russian president,” writes Abdul Ruff, commentator for Foreign Policy, a magazine.
However, good personal relationships between American and Russian leaders do not guarantee good relationships between countries. An example may be seen in George W. Bush and Putin having good personal relationships and mutual liking, yet the relations between the US and Russia deteriorated dramatically over the last years of the Bush administration.
Fyodor Lukyanov, chief editor of the journal Russia in Global Politics, mentioned in an interview to Pozner that the deterioration of the relationships between the two countries had absolutely no impact on personal relationships and expressed certainty that there will be a click between Trump and Putin.
“ANY SWAP OF SETTLEMENT IN SYRIA FOR SUPPORT OF UKRAINE REMAINS DISADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE U.S.”
Mykola KAPITONENKO, executive director, Center for International Studies, Kyiv:
“So far, there are no reasons for panic. Trump’s telephone conversation with Putin is just an item on the protocol. The current state of the US-Russian relations is obvious to anyone, and the majority realize perfectly well what has caused it. In my view, terrorism and Syria are the key message. Mentioning this problem, Trump let see that Russia’s standpoint on this issue will matter for him. At the same time, just like before, any swap of settlement in Syria for support of Ukraine remains disadvantageous for the US. The comments made by the American president-elect during the recent week, just as the intended staff appointments, open no bright prospects to the Kremlin. While Obama was president, Putin hoped for Yalta-2, a sort of grand treaty with the White House and the division of zones of influence. These hopes were frustrated, America’s president thoroughly avoided meeting his Russian counterpart while steadily supporting cautious policy towards Russia. With Trump in the White House, Putin risks encountering a more pragmatic and less predictable approach.”
“DEALING WITH PUTIN REQUIRES A TEAM READY TO ‘HIT THE GROUND RUNNING’”
Adrian KARATNYCKY, senior research fellow, US Atlantic Council; Myrmidon Group LLC, Washington D.C.:
“President-elect Trump cannot negotiate with Putin right now as President Obama is the President till the end of January. The true nature of his negotiations with Putin will be shaped by his team of key advisors and cabinet officials. The signals on this account are not clear. Trump is a hawk, who will lead to the rearmament of the US but how he will use that power remains to be seen. In my view, Putin will not show he is constructive in the case of Ukraine and therefore I believe there will be no space for deeply improved relations with Russia.
“I am more nervous today because Trump is considering an inexperienced Rudy Giuliani for Secretary of State. The speculation is Senator Jeff Sessions would get Secretary of Defense. I think that dealing with Putin, the NATO Alliance and Ukraine requires a team ready to ‘hit the ground running.’ Giuliani has said the following about Putin in July: ‘I think what he’s trying to say, Vladimir Putin is someone you can negotiate with... Putin to me is a murderer but he’s not an insane murderer... Putin is your typical autocrat... I have no doubt he’s ordered murders throughout the world but he’s also someone you can negotiate with because he’s not insane.’ I fear Giuliani is not ready for such a task, which also would increase the influence of General Flynn, who has pro-Russia sentiments. Still in the conversation with Putin, there was nothing unusual in the formulations, which were generalities and niceties.”
