Trump, Putin: A Long-anticipated Summit amid New Cold War
There is little hope that the impending meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents would reduce the tendency towards a precarious new cold war. writes
UThere is no doubt that the Russians and Americans acknowledge the benefits of a cosy relationship between their countries. Across the world, too, there is no question that the biggest issue for most people in the Trump-Putin summit is global peace and security.
But given Trump’s track record, it is difficult to say how successful the forthcoming meeting would be in terms of achieving the anticipated goals.
Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Singapore earlier this month, in a historic summit both men celebrated as a victory. At the summit, Trump ordered the suspension of U.S. military exercises with South Korea, in a surprise concession that addresses an issue that has been a priority for North Korea for decades. The U.S. president also said he got a commitment from the North Korean leader to destroy a missile engine testing site, ending the tests that have been a major provocation to the U.S. All these were barely six months after public exchanges of bitter outbursts by the two leaders threatened to escalate tensions in the Korean Peninsula to a full blown war.
On his way back to the US after the summit, Trump tweeted “great progress” had been made towards denuclearisation, adding, “Anyone can make war, but only the most courageous can make peace!”
But in September last year, following about six missile tests by North Korea, Trump had announced his intention to substantially increase the amount of military hardware in the region by selling advanced weapons to Japan and South Korea.
“I am allowing Japan and South Korea to buy a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States,” Trump said on Twitter.
It is hard to confirm if Trump has withdrawn such bellicose posture in the face of the new relationship with Kim.
The recent escalation of trade tensions with China after he visited that country in November last year and celebrated crucial agreements and talks with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, is another indication of the limited capacity of such meetings to bring about change.
The situation even seems dicier with Russia, which feels increasingly besieged in the face of aggressive extension of America’s territorial influence close to the Russian borders.
Though planned for a venue famed for its Cold War diplomacy, the on-going diplomatic process for a TrumpPutin summit in Helsinki may end up with just the symbolism and ceremony that have been associated such meetings in recent times.
“If the North Korea summit is any indication, anything Trump and Putin discuss will be portrayed as a personal triumph for Trump at establishing the personal relationship with Putin he’s always wanted,” a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, Richard Kauzlarich, was quoted as saying.