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After months of anticipation, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet Monday to test the American president 's ambition to forge a personal connection with the Kremlin leader.
If Mr Trump's instinct is right and he finds a deal Mr Putin, then the Helsinki summit could dispel some of the most dangerous conflicts in the world. world.
But the rivalry between Washington and Moscow has a long history and there are a lot of friction points that could still spoil Mr Trump was hoping for a nice friendship
With enemies disagreeing over Syria, l & # 39; Ukraine, pipeline policy, espionage and electoral interference, even Mr Trump warned, "I do not leave with high expectations."
The billionaire property tycoon has been president for 18 months, while the 65-year-old former KGB officer has ruled Russia for 18 years.
The 72-year-old president nevertheless has a high opinion of his ability to woo opponents, such as North Korea's Kim Jong-un, whom he met at a summit last month.
"I think it's a good thing to meet – I believe in meetings," insisted Mr. Trump in an interview with CBS News that aired prior to his arrival at Helsinki
In the same interview, Mr. Trump admitted that Russia remained an enemy, but put Moscow on an equal footing with China and the European Union as economic rivals.
The Kremlin also downplayed the hope that the outgoing couple will emerge from its first one-on-one summit, Putin, who played Sunday in the World Cup final in Moscow and Russia. which was due to arrive in Finland later on Monday, remained very concise before the summit
.Advisory Yuri Ushakov also downplayed expectations, saying: "The state of bilateral relations is very bad … We must to begin to settle them correctly. "
To give up the ground?
Indeed, after a week in which Mr Trump threatened to end a summit of NATO allies, European leaders anxious Many fear that Mr Trump – in his eagerness to prove that he was right to seek the summit with Mr Putin despite the often hostile position of Russia – can yield too much ground.
In the run-up to the talks, Mr. Trump refused to personally pledge to accept the United States' refusal to recognize the annexation of Crimea by Russia, leaving open the possibility of from a fall
. The land grabbing by Russia in 2014, which would break with decades of US policy, has caused shocks across the eastern flank of NATO.
Trump's critics in Washington will follow this – and also how he handles the growing evidence that Russian agents intervened in the 2016 US presidential race.
US Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller indicted 12 other intelligence agents for hacking Mr Trump's rival. Hillary Clinton's Computer Server
There will be indignation at home if Mr. Trump does not confront Mr. Putin with scandal, but the US mercurial leader would not say he would demand it. Extradition of suspects.
I could, I did not think about that, but I … I'm going to ask about it, "said Mr. Trump at CBS
Diplomat Senior and now president of Richard Habad said that for centuries, the world order depended on "non-interference in domestic affairs and respect for sovereignty."
"Russia violated this norm in seizing Crimea and interfering with the United States. ele ction. We need to talk about Putin's Russia as the rogue state, "he tweeted
but of all the topics that may come up in meetings, it's Syria that can s & # 39; 39, to prove the most important. Mr Trump is keen to withdraw American troops from eastern Syria, where they are fighting the Islamic State.
Reports suggest that he could seek an agreement that Russia is working with Israel to contain the influence of Iran, in exchange for Mr. Putin al-Bashar ally. Assad to stay in power
This could free US troops to withdraw, but also – as for Crimea – mark a major victory for Putin and a betrayal of local American allies on the
"Not good enough
Mr. Trump certainly does not expect to convince the media and Washington's foreign policy
In a bitter tweet sent as he flew between his golf course in Scotland's Finnish capital, he said that even though he was handed the keys of Mosc Helsinki
On the eve of the summit, more than 2,000 people denounced Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin and praised human rights, freedom of the press and freedom of the press. dissent as they marched on the Senate Square of the city
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