BEIJING, August 12. /TASS/. The upcoming meeting between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will most likely serve as preparation to initiate a dialogue on resolving the Ukrainian crisis, Qian Feng, an expert at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University and a senior research fellow at the Taihe Analytical Institute, told TASS on Thursday.
"In the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict this meeting is seen as an opportunity to advance peace talks," he said while commenting on the prospects for resolving the Ukrainian issue at the upcoming summit. "The meeting will more likely serve as preparation for further dialogue rather than a direct factor leading to a ceasefire agreement."
The Chinese expert specified that resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict "still depends on multilateral negotiations, and further progress will hinge on whether the parties can find a balance on such structural contradictions as sanctions, territorial issues, and security concerns." According to him, in case Putin and Trump manage to reach partial consensus at the summit, this "could help ease tensions between the two countries, lay the groundwork for further dialogue, and promote the development of Russia-US relations."
