Translated material
Negotiations "On the run"
Russian-American paradox: presidents are satisfied with each other, relations between countries are in crisis
*Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump at the 25th summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. *Photo: kremlin.ru
When on the evening of November 10, at the end of the first day of the APEC summit in the Vietnamese Dan Dange, Donald Trump, who had not yet attended two official events, did not sit until the end of the evening reception, resolutely stood up and headed for the exit (at the same time, as eyewitnesses noted, Putin, who was sitting from Trump after a short look), many decided: all of them, they, all of them, they were all, they were all, they were all, they were all, they were all, they were, they were all, they were all, they, all of them, they, all the same, they, all, they, Trump and Putin will not meet. Nobody stuttered about a separate meeting of the two leaders by this moment - but the journalists still cherished hope for a short meeting on the sidelines or at least on the run - the assistant Putin Yuri Ushakov on the eve of the day before the new protocol term - on his feet, which apparently means the same. But Trump's early departure from a joint evening dinner gave rise to the impression among many analysts: the Americans do not want any “individual meetings”, and Trump’s schedule, whose inconsistency with Putin’s schedule is constantly referred to by US assistants constantly, there is nothing to do with it, Trump, it seems, deliberately avoids talking with Putin, except for the most informal and at the very shortest possible: so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, like this The reception, at a photo shoot in Vietnamese national shirts, the leaders greeted and smiled at each other.
At some point, Putin and Trump were nearby, there were no translators or assistants nearby. Both called to help the language of gestures, although Putin tried to explain to the best of his knowledge of English
Then the reporters will summarize these fleeting contacts of Putin and Trump, which they in total counted three: the first handshake at the photograph in national clothes - once. The handshake before the plenary meeting of the summit is two. The conversation on the go before the common photo shoot (but already in costumes) on the ocean - three. Then Trump himself will inform reporters that he met a total of “two or three times” with Putin.
Good, but little
The most thorough contact turned out in the morning of the 11th, when all the participants in the summit were sent to the photo shoot. At some point, Putin and Trump were nearby, there were no translators or assistants nearby. Both called to help the language of gestures, although Putin tried to explain to the best of his knowledge of English. Communication lasted only a few minutes, but they, apparently, were enough for the presidents to agree on the main thing: yes, a separate meeting did not work, but let's at least make a joint statement on Syria, which, as it turned out later, was almost ready for the summit-Sergey Lavrov and Rex Tillerson remained only during a short meeting in Dannan in the day of the day to tell each other and tell each other and tell each other and tell each other and tell each other and tell each other and tell each other and tell each other "OK". There was nothing new in the statement - it, in fact, repeated previously agreed positions: to finish ISIS* and provide a “green street” to continue the contacts of the military two countries in Syria, including in order to prevent dangerous incidents in the air and on the ground. “It’s already good, but this is not enough,” Putin commented as a joint statement on Syria. And Trump, after the summit, said that he prefers to discuss issues related to the DPRK, Syria and Ukraine with the Russian president. But, as it turned out along the way, for Putin the most painful question is different.
*A meeting of the 25th summit of the forum "Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation". *Photo: kremlin.ru
"I did not do this"
As Trump told reporters on board his liner Air Force One, who had already left Danang, the Russian president, during fleeting meetings at the summit, again assured him: Russia did not interfere in the American elections. "Every time he sees me, he says:" I did not do this. " And I really believe that when he says this, he really means it, ”said Trump. “I think he is very offended, and this is not very good for our country.”
If a full-fledged meeting with Trump, according to Putin, did not take place-due to the formalities of the protocol and sluggishness of the “teams”, then how to explain his answer to the question of the Russian journalist about the reasons for the disruption of negotiations: “This suggests that the relations of Russia with the United States have not yet left the state of crisis”
Vladimir Putin, in turn, told reporters in Da Dunge that a possible connection between Trump’s ex-head election campaign, and Russia came up with the opponents of Trump. He also rejected the assumption that Russia could affect the elections in the United States through political advertising. The fact that Russia distributed its political advertising during last year’s presidential election recently announced several largest social networks, including Facebook. “There is no confirmation that we intervened through the mass media. And he (confirmation) cannot be, ”said Putin.
He explained the disruption of the official meeting with Trump with a tense schedule of meetings of both presidents and "the formalities of the protocol, with which our teams failed to cope." “The guilty will be punished,” Putin assured journalists. However, he added that “nothing terribly happened” and that during the summit it was possible to discuss a lot of things, for example, opportunities that the digital economy provides for the development of economic ties.
Two against the background of the crisis
And then it is just right to catch Putin on contradiction. If a full-fledged meeting, according to him, did not take place in total due to the formalities of the protocol and sluggishness of the “teams”, then how to explain his answer to the question of the Russian journalist about the reasons for the disruption of negotiations: “This suggests that Russia's relationship with the United States has not yet gone out of a state of crisis.”
And before it happened that the presidents made each other compliments-Gorbachev and Reagan with George Bush Sr., Yeltsin and Clinton ... And even George Bush Jr., as we recall, saw something in the eyes of Putin back in 2001 in Ljubljana. But these compliments have always been an additional positive background to what was happening at the negotiating table. And at the negotiating table, history was happening
It turns out a paradox that Russian-American relations have not yet seen. Putin is quite satisfied with Trump personally. He called his American counterpart "a well -mannered person", as well as "highly benevolent and comfortable for work." Trump also stated that he was pleased with the communication with Putin and the way they generally have a personal relationship. At the same time, relations between the two countries are indeed crisis. None of the key issues of the bilateral agenda - Ukraine, Syria, Iran, DPRK, disarmament - consensus is not visible. After all, even in Syria, the parties are not even trying to discuss the issue of the future of the country, because it instantly rests on the fundamental difference in approaches. Of course, it happened before that the presidents made each other compliments-Gorbachev and Reagan with George Bush Sr., Yeltsin and Clinton ... And even George Bush Jr., as we recall, saw something in the eyes of Putin back in 2001 in Lyublian. But these compliments have always been an additional positive background to what was happening at the negotiating table. And at the negotiating table, a story was happening.
And here are two people satisfied with themselves - like an island. And around - a vast storming ocean. And the weather change is not expected.
"Is there any prospect of Russian-American relations today?" - This question NT asked experts behind the ocean. In response, they remembered the recent “Valdai” speech of Putin, which consisted of two -thirds of US criticism
* Timothy Fry, * Professor of Colombian University (USA): Putin sent a clear signal to the West: there is no need to expect any changes in the Russian foreign policy course. The watershed between Russia and the United States passes on all key topics - Crimea, Syria, Iran and so on. It is only necessary to regret that other, really important, areas of interaction suffer from this - military, nuclear disarmament and even student exchange programs ... But Russia is objectively much more interested in good relations with the United States than the United States - in good relations with Russia.
At the same time, some American approaches deserve critics. For example, I am against the idea of registering the Russian RT Russian television company as a foreign agent, which Russia has already threatened with “mirror” response measures. It would be a cruel mistake on our part. After all, the United States thus, as it were, recognize the certain influence of Russian propaganda on the minds in America and put a government horn on one board with such world media as CNN. But it is precisely on CNN that, most likely, that Russian “mirror measures” will come. Why exaggerate RT? For example, I do not know the people who watch this channel in the USA ...
* Seva Gunitsky, * Professor of the University of Toronto (Canada):
Putin’s biggest mistake is not at all trusting, which he stated in his “Valdai” speech, but the annexation of Crimea. He obviously did not expect the US reaction would be so tough and real sanctions will follow that will hit the economy of Russia. In addition, he does not understand how the state entitled “The United States of America” works - as a result, having received the desired president of the United States, Moscow simultaneously received a new package of sanctions and an unprecedented deterioration in relations with Washington.
Unlike Soviet leaders, Putin, as a politician, is not ideologized, he is rather a cynical pragmatist. I would even define the course he conducted as paranoid pragmatism. I do not see any attempts from the Kremlin to improve relations with the West. ”
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* ISIS, IG, the “Islamic state” - an organization banned in Russia as a terrorist.