In line with Putin and Biden talks
Signs of a thaw in relations between the United States and Russia
Presidents Putin and Biden at the Geneva summit decided to hold talks at the highest levels after the summit.
EPA
Lavrov warmly welcomed Kerry's visit and considered it a positive sign for strengthening bilateral relations and easing tension.
archival
picture
It appears that there is a thaw in relations between the United States and Russia, as the unanimous vote, finally, in the UN Security Council to extend the process of providing cross-border aid to Syria from Turkey, should be considered a defining and important moment.
This agreement was made as a result of last-minute talks between the United States and Russia.
"We hope that this moment will be a turning point in line with the talks between the two presidents, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, at the Geneva summit," Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, told reporters after the vote.
It shows that we can cooperate when there is a need and when there is a will.” As for the US ambassador to the United Nations, Thomas Greenfield, he told reporters, “This agreement shows that we can agree with the Russians on common goals.”
tough stance
Moscow apparently told Nebenzia that the Russian ship had changed course, although Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had expressed a hardline stance toward Washington on June 30, after his talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Antalya.
Lavrov criticized the sanctions imposed by the United States on Russia.
But eight days after those statements, the mood changed. On July 8, envoys from Russia, Iran and Turkey met in Kazakhstan for the Astana process related to the situation in Syria, with the aim of activating this process.
Kerry is visiting
The Special Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev, who participated in the Astana negotiations, told the Russian TASS news agency that Moscow and Washington were engaged in negotiations related to the withdrawal of US forces from Syria, and that this withdrawal "could take place at any time." Antalya received a phone call from the US presidential envoy in charge of environmental issues, John Kerry. "Kerry is planning a visit to Moscow," TASS said on July 2. He is expected to discuss issues related to the environment with Russian Minister Lavrov.” On July 8, the US State Department announced that Kerry was heading to Moscow on a five-day visit, from July 12 to 15, which aims to “meet Russian government officials to discuss various means to to protect the environment.”
Kerry's first meeting was when he arrived in Moscow with Lavrov, who welcomed him warmly, saying, "Your visit is an important and positive sign for strengthening bilateral relations, easing tension, and establishing professional artistic activities in areas where we find common ground between us."
Lavrov appreciated the importance of the visit, pointing out that it is not dedicated to environmental issues only, and the Russian side was pleased with this visit.
The Russian anti-Washington rhetoric has greatly diminished.
In fact, the Russian ambassador in Havana said that the recent protests in Cuba were caused by internal difficulties, as living conditions had deteriorated sharply, and the Corona pandemic had exacerbated the situation.
Reducing tensions over Ukraine
Moscow did not agree with the allegations of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel that Washington instigated the protests.
And most importantly, Putin wrote an article last weekend in which he tried to calm the atmosphere with Ukraine, and pledged that Russia would implement its obligations regarding the transit of gas through Ukraine.
This would lower the temperature in the standoff between the United States and Russia over Ukraine, and may give the Biden administration room to avoid imposing sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 project for Russian gas pipelines.
More importantly, American experts have noted that the cybercrime group known as Revell, which US intelligence organizations say is based in Russia, has completely disappeared from the Internet.
It is believed that this group is responsible for many cases of hacking that struck many American service institutions, which prompted Biden to contact Putin, and warned him that the United States could strike inside Russia, if he did not act and stop this group.
Of course, Putin and Biden agreed at the Geneva summit to start negotiations at the highest levels, regarding ransom crimes.
Russia has complained about the delay.
As a veteran politician, however, Biden knows how to pamper Russian vanity.
In fact, this exceptional Russian-American harmony could collapse if Lavrov sticks to his June 28 article in which he sharply criticized the United States for its contempt for Russia.
But it all seems to be a thing of the past.
• Lavrov criticized the sanctions imposed by the United States on Russia, but after eight days of those statements, the mood changed.
M-K-Badrkumar ■ Former Indian diplomat
Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news