In a development that could constitute a landmark in U.S.-Russia relations, a senior Kremlin official confirmed Thursday that there has been a “in principle” agreement on a meeting between the erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Yuri Ushakov, who serves as the Kremlin’s senior foreign policy aide, told reporters in Moscow that both sides have expressed willingness for direct talks, but the timing, location, and agenda are still to be agreed upon.
“There is a general understanding in principle between the two sides regarding the possibility of such a meeting,” Ushakov said. “Details will be hammered out through diplomatic channels.”
Even though the White House is mum on record, Trump confidants close to him who are running now as the Republican nominee in the 2024 U.S. presidential election have neither confirmed nor denied. The brokers made the first overture in early summer, as people close to Trump’s campaign surmised.
If it does occur, the meeting would be Trump’s first in-person meeting with Putin since the 2018 Helsinki Summit, which was a global media focus and universal condemnation of Trump’s statements viewed as pro-Russia.
Strategic Timing
The potential meeting comes at a time when tensions are growing between Russia and NATO regarding regional confrontations in Eastern Europe, energy confrontations, and cybersecurity. The timing is politically sensitive, the experts assert, with Trump’s current re-election bid and the view in Moscow that his return to the presidency might alter the West’s current strategy vis-à-vis Russia.
“Putin clearly sees an opportunity here,” said Tatiana Stanovaya, a Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center political analyst. “A Trump victory would roll back U.S. foreign policy and perhaps be forestalling that in Moscow.”
A Gamble in Diplomacy?
Others warn that any encounter, especially in the midst of an active U.S. presidential campaign, would be viewed as political interference or worse, an attempt to manipulate the attitudes of voters.
Republican and Democratic legislators from the US have always been wary of Trump’s relationship with Putin. Democrats are already worried about the politics surrounding a meeting, calling it a propaganda success for the Kremlin.
“Any kind of dialogue with a foreign opponent must be greeted with caution, transparency, and oversight especially during an election season,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) stated.
What’s Next?
No dates have been proposed publicly, but sources indicate a neutral venue such as Geneva, Belgrade, or Helsinki is under consideration. The Kremlin aide declined to speculate on whether the meeting would occur before or after the U.S. election in November 2024.
In the meantime, diplomatic backchannels will doubtless remain in place. They are both reportedly working to agree on a broad agenda, which could include arms control, sanctions relief, the expansion of NATO, and Ukraine’s war.
The world waits thus far watching for the reality that even preliminary moves toward a Trump-Putin summit could have profound effects around the globe.