Eager to meet Putin, Trump makes advisers worried

While Trump wants a full bilateral meeting with Putin, some advisers say the two sides should keep their distance at a sensitive time.

US President Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters

President Donald Trump wants a full-fledged bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin when they are in Germany for the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7-8, AP reported. But the idea exposes deep divisions within the administration over how to approach Moscow, while the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the US election is ongoing.

Many US officials believe that at this time Washington needs to maintain its distance from Moscow and interact with them cautiously.

But Trump and others in the administration are pushing for a full bilateral meeting. Trump also wants to give the meeting access to the media and go through all the protocols that typically accompany such sessions, even as State Department and National Security Council officials urge restraint, according to current and former administration officials.

Some advisers recommend that the US president meet his Russian counterpart briefly and informally on the sidelines of the summit or for US and Russian delegations to hold strategic stability talks — the kind of activities that typically do not involve presidents.

Asked about the AP report that Trump wanted a full-fledged bilateral meeting with Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the two leaders would be attending the same event at the same location, so in any case, they would have a chance to meet. Peskov added that no progress had been made in working out the details of the meeting.

Bilateral meetings often take place at summits like the G20, where many world leaders and their advisers gather in one place. The meetings are often carefully scripted, from the way the two leaders shake hands, to their gazes, to their statements.

A meeting between Trump and Putin could yield many results. Face-to-face meetings could allow for better communication than phone calls. Trump has repeatedly said he could replace the rifts in the Obama-era US-Russia relationship with a partnership, especially on issues like the Syrian conflict.

But there are risks to the meeting. Mr. Trump often strays from the script, which could lead to a diplomatic incident. During a brief Oval Office meeting with Russian diplomats last month, Mr. Trump disclosed classified information provided by Israel about the threat posed by the Islamic State group to airlines, according to a senior administration official. The White House said the disclosure was “entirely appropriate,” while the Russians said it was not classified.

Russian President Putin. Photo: Reuters

Oleg Kalugin, a former Soviet intelligence officer (KGB), said that Mr. Putin is an experienced politician and would want to discuss with Mr. Trump issues other than the accusations of Russian interference in the US election, such as easing sanctions, increasing oil prices, as well as next year's presidential election in Russia.

“Putin knows how to turn the conversation in his favor,” Kalugin said.

Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of Russian affairs at the New School, said Trump is in a difficult position when meeting Putin.

"He can't be too nice to Putin because people will think he has a special relationship with Russia," she said. "But Trump can't be too tough either. He needs to fulfill his campaign promise of better relations with Russia."

The White House said no final decision had been made on whether the meeting would take place. It did not respond to questions about the conflicting views within the administration.

A former official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said U.S. foreign policy advisers are increasingly frustrated that the White House is not taking a more cautious approach toward Russia, which U.S. intelligence believes was behind last year’s hack of Democratic Party email systems and attempted to sway the 2016 election in Trump’s favor.

Trump needs to tell Putin directly: "We are not happy that you interfered in our election," said Steven Pifer, a former US ambassador to Ukraine. "If Trump doesn't say that, he will be criticized by the press and the US Congress, and the US Congress will pass sanctions on Russia," Pifer added.

"They shouldn't expect too much from the meeting either," Pifer commented.

According to VNE