Positive signals in Russia-US relations
Thu Hoa -
(VOVWORLD) -US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met last Friday on the sideline of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. It was the first official meeting between the leaders of Russia and the US since President Barack Obama met President Putin in 2015. The meeting marks an attempt to develop relations between the two nations.
The two Presidents met for 2 hours, much longer than the planned time of 30 to 40 minutes. They discussed thorny issues of bilateral relations as well as wider issues related to Ukraine, Syria, terrorism, and cyber security.
Wide gap
The meeting took place at a time when relations have been strained by accusations of Russian interference in the US presidential election in 2016, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and Russia’s support for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.
Trump did not avoid talking about the accusation that Russia hacked the US presidential election last year. Russia strongly denounced a US-led air strike against a Syrian airfield. Putin said the US claimed the “Syrian government is using chemical weapons” as a pretext for military intervention in Syria. Tension rose to a peak when Moscow cut its hotline with Washington and canceled a mechanism designed to prevent air collisions over Syria.
Flexible in thorny issues
Despite their disagreements, Russia and the US have expressed a wish to work more closely in fighting terrorism. The US Secretary of State announced an agreement to establish a communication line to try to resolve the Ukrainian conflict and a truce in Syria following the Trump-Putin meeting in Hamburg.
Thu Hoa