WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump announced today that he will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15. He made the announcement without giving further details, while the reason and agenda for the summit remain unspecified. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov later confirmed the date and location of the meeting, according to the source.
Moscow expects the meeting to be an important step in bilateral relations, which have been strained in recent years due to divergent positions on international issues, including the situation in Ukraine, arms control and cyber security. Ushakov said another summit is also expected, this time on Russian territory, but no specific date has been set.
The meeting in Alaska will be the first official meeting between the two leaders since the beginning of this year and analysts expect it to signal an effort to resume direct dialogue. The choice of a location that lies geographically between the two countries may symbolise an effort to find common ground. Whether the meeting leads to tangible results will depend on the willingness of both sides to resolve contentious issues through diplomacy.
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