Are Putin and Trump getting along again?
For all the scrutiny of Donald Trump’s ties to Vladimir Putin, there’s been little evidence so far of improved relations between the two countries. U.S. sanctions on Russia remain in place, Trump is being described as impulsive and dangerous by the once-friendly Russian media, Russian jets have repeatedly buzzed Alaska, and—most dramatically—Trump abruptly changed course on Syria last month by ordering a missile strike on Russian ally Bashar al-Assad’s air force. So anticipation was high for the telephone conversation between the two leaders Tuesday, the first since the April 7 strike.
According to the White House, the conversation was a “very good one.” The Kremlin more guardedly called it “businesslike” and “constructive.”
AdvertisementReadout of Trump-Putin phone call: "The conversation was a very good one." pic.twitter.com/EDOvFOesvJ
— Jacob N. Kornbluh 🇮🇱 נצח ישראל (@jacobkornbluh) May 2, 2017
One big piece of news from the White House readout is that the U.S. will send an envoy to upcoming Russian-led Syria peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. The administration hadn’t sent an envoy to previous rounds of those talks, dispatching only the ambassador to Kazkhstan as an observer. The other is that the two leaders discussed a Russian plan to establish “safe or de-escalation” zones in Syria.
Bloomberg reported earlier Tuesday that Russia is pushing a plan to establish four buffer zones, manned by troops from Russia, Iran, and Turkey, in areas where fighting between regime and rebel forces has continued despite a recent cease-fire agreement. It’s hard to judge the plan based on what we know so far, but the Syrian opposition is likely to be skeptical. The safe zones they’ve been calling for the U.S. to enforce have been to protect them from Russian and regime forces, and they are likely to view this as a de facto occupation.
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AdvertisementIt remains to be seen what will come of these initiatives. But both make it sound as if, the events of the past few weeks notwithstanding, Trump is following Putin’s lead on Syria, or at least not pushing back systematically on the Russian government’s plans for the conflict.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin’s account of the call, though not the White House’s, says that the two are planning to organize a meeting in person on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg in July.
It was a busy day for Putin, who also hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Sochi—her first trip to Russia since 2015. In addition to Syria, the two leaders, who have a famously testy relationship, discussed Ukraine, the detention and abuse of gay men in Chechnya, and recent Russian crackdowns on demonstrators and NGOs.
None of this seems to have come up in the conversation with Trump.
Tweet Share Share Comment(责任编辑:产品中心)
- 11 Unique Amaros and Liqueurs to Level Up Your Aperol Spritz
- Biden administration extends freeze on student loan payments to Jan. 31.
- 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for July 19
- Best fitness deal: Get a rowing machine for just $206 at Amazon
- 微视频广东:在推进中国式现代化建设中走在前列
- What to expect when a tech bubble bursts
- “年菜第一区”高要上菜!请查收这份2024年味好礼!
- Elon Musk's Twitter is hosting an online garage sale for all its office junk
- Debt ceiling fight: Is Congress about to play chicken with the economy again?
- 'Hyundai Way': Auto giant's W121tr plan aims to seize mobility market lead
- Cuba’s protesters are proving that the internet can still be a force for democracy.
- A Year Later, You Can Still Upgrade to Windows 10 for Free
- McIlroy, Koepka paired together at US Open
-
With more ballot initiatives ready to go before voters, supporters of reproductive rights are hoping ...[详细]
-
Capitol riot police testimony: What the first Congress hearing glaringly hearing left out.
On Tuesday, a U.S. Congressional select committee kicked off its probe into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot ...[详细] -
North Korean troops stage artillery fire competition
In this photo distributed by North Korea's official KCNA, Pak Jong Chon, left, member of the Presidi ...[详细] -
YouTube glitch used to create fake undiscovered oldest video on the platform
The first ever video uploaded to YouTube is "Me at the zoo" featuring the platform's co-founder Jawe ...[详细] -
20 Places to Eat Dumplings and Noodles for Lunar New Year
Every Lunar New Year, billions of people gather to celebrate with their families—and to feast. While ...[详细] -
本报讯近日,人民银行雅安中心支行顺利为雅安市商业银行办理碳减排再贴现1000万元,实现我市碳减排票据再贴现业务零突破。雅安市商业银行使用再贴现资金支持我市一企业发展。经测算,该笔再贴现资金将助力该企业 ...[详细]
-
为推动党史学习教育走深走实,扎实践行“学党史、悟思想、办实事、开新局”要求,让党史学习教育入脑入心,今年以来,工行雅安分行坚持把“我为群众办实事”实践活动作为党史学习教育重要内容,怀揣“金融为民”初心 ...[详细]
-
'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for July 13
If Quordleis a little too challenging today, you've come to the right place for hints. There aren't ...[详细] -
Google is bringing AI summaries to ‘Files’ so you can find your docs quicker
Google is full speed ahead on AI-powered features for Android devices, and a new summarization tool ...[详细] -
“年菜第一区”高要上菜!请查收这份2024年味好礼!_南方+_南方plus2024新岁已至,人间至味是团圆,一年一度的年夜饭,是对奔波一年的我们最好的奖赏每一道年菜,都倾注了家人无限的希冀与憧憬。作为 ...[详细]
- PS5 Pro: It looks like a sketch of the design just leaked
- No one can find a $5,800 bottle of whisky Japan gave Pompeo.
- Best free online courses from Harvard University
- Eviction moratorium: How Democrats blew their chance to extend it.
- 雅安市举办首届“文轩教育”校园足球精英夏令营
- 坚守金融为民初心 担当服务社会使命
- Best camping deal: Score up to 47% on Coleman tents, cooking supplies, and more at Amazon