Today the US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, putting an end to the European tour that has given him the chance to implement a campaign of criticism against European allies. After accusing Germany of being “a captive of the Russians” because of its dependence on energy supplies and having urged NATO countries to double their military spending targets, on his way to the Finnish capital President Trump said that he had “low expectations” ahead of the talks with Putin but that “maybe some good” would come of them.
Indeed, despite the lack of expectation for a concrete action to come out of the Summit, the meeting still has significance for world peace, especially considering that it comes after 12 Russians were charged with hacking in the 2016 US elections. Although, according to US National Security Adviser John Bolton, “both sides have agreed the meeting will have no set agenda”, it is “hard to believe” that this issue will not be discussed and that President Putin did not know about the alleged election hacking. In the light of the sensitivity of the subjects that will be addressed during the summit, the two leaders will meet one-on-one, followed only by their interpreters. It is the first-ever Summit between President Putin and President Trump, although they have both previously attended multilateral talks. Other points to be discussed include the strained relations between the Us and Russia “that are at odds over so many issues”, international security, Middle East and nuclear proliferation.
Gabriella Cinque
For further info:
Uutiset, < https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/mondays_papers_focus_on_the_trump-putin_summit/10306332
