MOSCOW, August 7. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump may show more flexibility at his upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing a possible easing of US sanctions against Russia, political scientist Malek Dudakov told TASS.
According to him, after the meeting between Putin and Trump in Helsinki in 2018, "despite the warm and friendly atmosphere of the summit, there was no normalization of bilateral relations." The US leader then faced pressure from opponents due to unfounded accusations of "Russian interference in the election," allegations that were later refuted by US law enforcement agencies. "The situation is different now. There is a chance that Trump will show more flexibility in negotiations with Russia," the political scientist emphasized.
He noted that "new agreements are possible in terms of normalizing the work of diplomatic services and resuming direct air travel between the countries." "A wide range of issues are being discussed within the Russian-US track, and we can theoretically come to an agreement," Dudakov added.
"In addition to the Ukrainian crisis, sanctions, and prospects for economic cooperation with the US are likely to be on the agenda. The Trump administration may offer to partially ease sanctions while retaining the option to tighten them in the event of no progress," he noted. According to the political scientist, the mere fact that the summit is taking place is significant for Trump. He will be able to present the agreements reached to his supporters as a successful settlement to another international conflict.
