Forget football, Vladimir Putin is the real winner of the World Cup



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And the Russian national team – which entered the tournament as the least-titled team – has achieved beyond all expectations.

The World Cup also reinforced Putin's geopolitical profile. At a meeting with Russian President in Moscow on Wednesday, US National Security Advisor John Bolton congratulated Putin, telling him that he was eager to learn "how you handled the Cup of Nations. World successfully, among other things. "

a diplomatic delicacy. In terms of optics, the World Cup seems ready to close a chapter that began in Sochi for Putin

  Trump casts doubt on Russian electoral interference before Putin's summit
  Artem Dzyuba of Russia celebrates after scoring a goal in a match against Saudi Arabia

Up to now, the agenda remains fairly general. Asked by CNN about the topics of a summit with Putin, Mr Bolton added that "the overall problems between the two countries" would be discussed at the summit, including the annexation of Crimea , a question that the Kremlin considers closed

Stressed the wisdom of holding a summit when Russia has not changed any of the behaviors for which it was sanctioned, Bolton said: 19659002] "The fact is that it is important for the leaders of Despite the differences between us, President Trump and President Putin think that they could find constructive solutions."

This n is not the only important sign of international goodwill towards Putin. A group of US Republican senators will travel to Russia next week, another high-profile visit that will take place in the context of the World Cup.

And the July 15 World Cup final gives another opportunity to Putin The Russian leader has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attend the match. While Netanyahu has not yet responded to the invitation, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has already confirmed his presence.

  Notice: The World Cup has not given Putin the world power

As the top of Trump -Poutine, it is difficult to say whether a possible three-way meeting between Putin, Abbas and Netanyahu will be long on the symbolism and on the bottom. Russia remains under sanctions, and US-Russian relations are still extremely cold. But in terms of photo opportunities, the World Cup has provided an excellent backdrop.

Russian electoral interference should remain at the forefront of US-Russian relations. The Kremlin has a mirror vision of the case – Putin accuses the West of trying to meddle in Russian domestic politics and denies interfering in foreign elections – and it is difficult to Imagine that Washington and Moscow find a common ground.

Dmitry Trenin, director of the Moscow Carnegie Center and one of the main observers of US-Russian relations, suggested that both countries offer at least a symbolic gesture to give the summit a little more legitimacy [19659022]. At the next US-Russian summit, it would be logical for the Kremlin and the PM to publicly declare that interference with the counting mechanisms in one or the other country is inadmissible, "he said. he writes on Twitter. "Really, interference does not make any sense."

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