A new makeover for US and Russia?

[GlobalVillageSpace]

A new makeover for US and Russia?
Global Village Space |
M. K. Bhadrakumar |

The White House disclosed Thursday during a media briefing on President Donald Trump’s forthcoming trip to Europe next week that he will meet with many world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit (July 7-8) in Hamburg. It just fell short of a formal announcement, but never mind. The White House National Security Adviser, HR McMaster who gave the briefing was discernibly low-key, almost downplaying the announcement.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes to nail him down on climate change and free trade.

Clearly, the White House hopes to keep expectations low. But that is understandable, given the high tide of pervasive Russophobia in the US. Equally, the Trump administration is circling its wagons. Trump got badly bruised in his first outing to Europe in May. This time around, German Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes to nail him down on climate change and free trade. Then, there is the vexed question of Trump’s faith in Article 5 of the NATO Charter regarding collective security.

Trump’s America first policy
Trump won’t budge on trade deficit and NATO budget and has nothing to give away on climate change. Trump hopes to prise open the world energy market for US shale gas exports.

McMaster said Trump’s primary objectives will be “to promote American prosperity, to protect American interests and provide American leadership.” Plainly put, Trump won’t budge on trade deficit and NATO budget and has nothing to give away on climate change. Trump hopes to prise open the world energy market for US shale gas exports. He declared yesterday that “my administration will seek not only American energy independence that we’ve been looking for so long, but American energy dominance. And we’re going to be an exporter — exporter. We will be dominant. We will export American energy all over the world, all around the globe.” (here)

Read more: Trump’s travails may spill over to Euphrates valley

Trump may choose to be explicit on US’ transatlantic leadership. He will make a speech in Warsaw en route to Hamburg. McMaster said Trump will seek to “develop a common approach to Russia” aimed at developing a “more constructive relationship”, while on guard to “do what is necessary to confront Russia’s destabilizing behavior.” It is a markedly toned down formulation. McMaster said an agenda for Trump-Putin meeting “has not been set up at this point.” But overall, he gave a neutral spin — neither hyped up nor gloomy:

• Well, our relationship with Russia is not different from any other country in terms of us communicating to them, really, what our concerns are, where we see problems in the relationship, but also opportunities. Secretary Tillerson, obviously as he does with all countries in the world, has the lead for that and has been engaged in a broad, wide-ranging discussion about irritants, problems in the relationship, but also to explore opportunities — where we can work together in areas of common interest. So it won’t be different from our discussions with any other country, really.

It isn’t as if Trump has no expectations out of the meeting with Putin. Syria and Ukraine are hot topics. Crisis instability between the US and Russia has touched a high threshold and there is urgent need to de-escalate potential flashpoints. To my mind, there might even be some takeaway such as the return of the Russian dacha in Maryland to the rightful owners or a resumption of de-confliction mechanism in Syria – and, quite likely, an agreement on extending New START (2012).

Read more: Detente 2.0’ between Russia and the US: an unconvincing idea under Trump

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A new makeover for US and Russia?