In the period before the call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, the hosts of the Russian government media were bothering.
One of the broadcasters on Russia 1 described it as “the most important phone conversation in the modern world.”
When the call was wrapped for two hours, the Russian media quickly indicated that it was the longest one ever between the United States and the Russian president. This alone was sufficient for some to classify a diplomatic victory.
“It is official now: This is the perfect phone conversation,” Kirill Dmitryv wrote, Putin’s special envoy on international economic cooperation, on X.
While the readings issued by the White House and the Kremlin were slim and only revealed what each side wanted to present as the main fast food – including an agreement to stop the attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine – Trump described the conversation as “very good”, and the Kremlin indicated that both leaders understand each other.
It was a sharp sign of warm relations between Washington and Moscow, and reaffirms the opportunity that Russia imagines with the Trump administration, which could go beyond the battlefields in Ukraine.
After Russia has launched its invasion on a large scale for Ukraine, its negative relationship has already exacerbated the West significantly. It has become pariah in some geopolitical circles, and has mostly consecutive sanctions from the markets of Europe and North America.
“Russia is in a terrible economic state … but this is the price that Russia pays for Putin’s ambitions,” said Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat, resigned from his position in protest against Russia’s invasion.
Bondarev believes that Putin has a plan to stop his war on Ukraine, and he is likely to wait only to find out what the Trump administration offers.
Relationships of warming
During the call, the Kremlin said that the two leaders discussed the need to improve bilateral relations and search for economic cooperation and that they may arrange even international hockey matches between the two sides.
It was an attempt to restart historical competition through sports diplomacy at a time when most Russian teams are currently banned from international competition.
Putin did not agree to the American suggestion for a complete and unconditional shooting stop in Ukraine, but he said he had supported a smaller step to stop attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a proposal backed by the United States that Russia and Ukraine stop attacking each other for 30 days.
However, Ukraine and Russia launched air attacks overnight and accused each other of hitting energy sites.
Ukrainian President Folodimir Zelinski said Russia has launched 150 drones overnight, including some of the targeted energy facilities. Zelinski said that two Ukrainian hospitals were injured in the attack.
During the invitation with Trump, Putin seemed to repeat his circumstances for a full ceasefire, which includes the prohibition of all Western military aid to Ukraine in addition to stopping the exchange of intelligence.
But in an interview with Fox News, Trump said that military aid had not been discussed.
Although the minute details of the conversation are still unclear, he does not seem to have Putin to abandon any of his alleged conditions to end the war, and both sides said that negotiations will continue in Ukraine.
The White House and the Kremlin also said that the leaders had talked about the crisis in the Middle East. Tatiana Stanovaya, Russian political expert and founder of the analysis company R. said. Politic, this “represents a clear victory for Putin”, as it indicates that there can be cooperation in the United States in Russia on major international issues.
“The process of separating the Ukraine issue from the broader American bilateral relations in the United States is gaining momentum,” wrote on the social media platform Telegram.
“Putin was able to reject the suggestion for a full ceasefire while converting the situation into his interest without making concessions.”
Economic capabilities
On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that both Putin and Trump are aware of the “tremendous potential” of many joint commercial projects.
Private envoy Dmitriev contemplate a business forum on Wednesday about the promise of the improved relationship with Washington.
After addressing the few and businessmen on Wednesday, Dimitriev told reporters that many American companies that left the Russian market in 2022 would seek to return, and the best way to do this is the partnership of Russian companies.
He said that the Russian Space Agency, Roskosmos, was interested in meeting with Elon Musk, who heads Spacex (as well as the Ministry of Governmental Efficiency Trump), to cooperate in research, including the possibility of flights to Mars.
Dmitriev, who also leads the Russian sovereign wealth fund, said the country wants to develop rare ground minerals and desire To a partner With American companies looking to invest.
When Putin has publicly addressed the American suggestion to a ceasefire in Ukraine last week, he talked about how Washington and Moscow may be Energy projects can be cooperatedWhich may lead to another gas pipeline for Europe.
Putin could have referred to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which extends between Russia and Germany, and was damaged An explosion in the fall of 2022.
In recent days, there have been a number of reports, including Financial times And the German newspaper BildWhich indicates that there is a plan to restart the pipeline, which is likely to invest from American companies. However, Germany says it is so Do not participate In any conversations to revive the Nord 2 stream.
Kremlin’s agenda
Anna Mvifiva, a visiting colleague in Kings College, London, says after years of a negative climate between the United States and Russia, some in Russia see the sudden rotation in relations as a “ray of hope”.
But she says that others in the country are likely to be more cautious, given that some were very optimistic during Trump’s first presidency, but it ended with disappointment when he agreed Additional penalties Against Russia after pressure from the US Congress in 2019.
She says that the invitation with Trump gave Putin an opportunity to clarify his circumstances around Ukraine again, but Ukraine is not the main focus of Karmlin.
“They want to get the topic of Ukraine on the way …. because they want to move to more important things for them,” she said in an interview with CBC News. “The Kremlin has a very large agenda …. including the normalization of bilateral relationships.”
She said this is the effort to encourage joint events, such as Putin’s hockey games.
The Kremlin said that Trump supports the idea, and on Wednesday, the Russian Sports Minister said he was working on ways to collect two NHL and Russia KHL players together.
“Economic measures, culture and sports – this is a kind of way to gradually rebuild relations.”
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