“Set on intensifying the dialogue”: what Putin and Trump discussed during telephone conversations

On Friday, May 3, at the initiative of the American side, there was a long telephone conversation between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. According to the Kremlin press service, the conversation lasted almost an hour and a half.

It is noted that the presidents discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral relations, focusing on economic cooperation. At the same time, the leaders spoke in favor of developing mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between Washington and Moscow.

“A mutual spirit was confirmed to intensify the dialogue in various areas, including on issues of strategic stability,” the Kremlin reported.

The heads of state also touched upon key issues on the international agenda, including the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the settlement of the situation in Ukraine and Venezuela. In particular, Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump about the main results of his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which was held on April 25 in Vladivostok.

At the same time, the Russian leader emphasized that Pyongyang’s conscientious fulfillment of its disarmament obligations must be accompanied by reciprocal steps to reduce the sanctions pressure on North Korea.

“On both sides, the importance was noted of consistently moving towards denuclearization and achieving long-term normalization on the Korean Peninsula,” the Kremlin noted.

During the discussion of the situation around Venezuela, the Russian leader stressed that only the residents of the Bolivarian Republic are entitled to determine the future of their country. At the same time, external interference in internal affairs and, all the more, attempts by forceful change of power undermine the prospects for a political settlement of the crisis in this Latin American country, Putin added.

The Kremlin also said that during the telephone conversation the leader touched on the topic of Ukraine in the context of the recent presidential elections in this country. The Russian leader focused his attention on the fact that the new Kiev leadership must take real steps to implement the Minsk agreements, which are key to resolving the internal Ukrainian conflict.

“It was agreed to continue contacts at various levels. The heads of state expressed satisfaction with the conversation, which was businesslike and constructive, ”summed up the Kremlin’s press service.

“Very productive conversation!”

In turn, the White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that in addition to the above-mentioned topics, the leaders of Russia and the United States also discussed the report of Special Prosecutor Robert Muller and the possibility of concluding a new multilateral nuclear agreement in which Washington expects to include China or -III.

Later, Donald Trump himself highly appreciated the results of telephone conversations with the Russian leader, stressing the importance of building a dialogue with Moscow and Beijing.

“I had a long and very good conversation with Russian President Putin. As I have always said, long before the “witch hunt” began, getting along with Russia, China and everyone else is good, not bad. They discussed trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, control of nuclear weapons and even a “far-fetched Russian case.” Very productive conversation! ”- wrote Trump.

.... We discussed Trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Nuclear Arms Control and even the “Russian Hoax.” Very productive talk!

Commenting on the results of the talks, the press secretary of the White House also said that the leaders of Russia and the United States do not yet have agreed plans to organize a new one-on-one meeting. Recall that the last time Putin and Trump met in July 2018 at the summit in Helsinki. After that, several times the talk was about preparing new negotiations, but so far they have not taken place.

“I am not aware of any upcoming planned meeting of the two presidents. However, I know that Secretary of State Pompeo is expected to meet with her (Russian - RT ) colleague next week. We will see what happens after this, after these negotiations, ”TASS quotes Sarah Sanders.

According to political analyst of the international monitoring organization CIS-EMO Stanislav Byshok, the importance of direct negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump is difficult to overestimate, since world stability today largely depends on certain agreements between the United States, Russia, China and sometimes India.

“The others either have no significant significance, or are in the camp of one of these countries. When talking about meetings, about telephone conversations of representatives of great powers who have difficulties in mutual relations, it is always good. So the presidents understand that world stability depends on them, ”the expert emphasized.

At the same time, he noted that if the President of Russia is “untied his hands” in terms of personal meetings with leaders of other countries (this will not affect his rating inside the Russian Federation), then Trump has much less room for maneuver due to the internal political situation in the United States. Therefore, a telephone conversation with Putin is still almost the maximum that the head of the White House can go to again not be accused of "vicious ties with the Kremlin." In this regard, the interlocutor of RT expressed the opinion that until Trump is re-elected for a second term, he should not expect a personal meeting with Putin.

In turn, Dmitry Solonnikov, director of the Institute of Contemporary State Development, noted that contacts between Moscow and Washington are constantly continuing at different levels.

“We occasionally receive scant communiqués. In my opinion, this is due to the fact that the leaders of the two states have questions that they would like to discuss without wide publicity, that is why these are telephone conversations, negotiations with the help of intermediaries, and not public meetings, to which media attention would be riveted which would be unnecessary speculation, "- said Solonnikov.

He added that the presidents should coordinate their positions on a number of critical issues, including the crisis in Venezuela, the situation around North Korea, the consequences of publishing the Muller report, etc.

“These are the main problems, and what else the presidents discussed, we don’t know, and probably we don’t need to know. When the decisions are translated into concrete actions, we will be announced, ”concluded the expert.