INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Kremlin is exploring its alternatives for a possible conference between President Vladimir Putin and U.S
equivalent Donald Trump in April or May, 4 current and two former Russian officials acquainted with the discussions informed The Moscow
Times.All sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the level of sensitivity of the matter.Saudi Arabia, which hosted top-level
U.S.-Russia talks last month, is the most likely venue, though other places in the Middle East are also under consideration.Ideally, Moscow
would prefer to delay the meeting for as long as possible to make the most of possible concessions from Washington in exchange for Russia
halting military actions in Ukraine
Time is on the Kremlins side, sources informed The Moscow Times
However, officials also acknowledge the requirement to seize the minute and balance Trumps push for a quick ceasefire with wider
geopolitical and domestic considerations.One situation under conversation is a meeting around Easter [ Orthodox Easter falls on April 20], a
Russian diplomat informed The Moscow Times
Another senior Russian official validated this possibility.The summit might be timed to accompany Trumps prepared Middle East see
Last week, Trumpsuggested he might take a trip to Saudi Arabia within the next month and a half, which would align with the 3rd week of
April.There are likewise scenarios for May or even June, but no behind that
To avoid missing out on the window, the conference in between nachalnik [the boss, a colloquial term for Putin used by Russian authorities]
and Trump should occur before the summertime recess, another Russian diplomat said.PreparationsSummits in between Russian and U.S
presidents typically require months of preparation, including intensive discussions amongst diplomats, intelligence authorities, military
agents and civilian bureaucrats to negotiate bilateral arrangements and set the agenda.Protesters in New York hold posters with images of
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.Zuma/ TASSPreparations for the June 2021 meeting in between Putin and then-President Joe
Biden in Geneva took nearly 5 months, consisting of an initial exchange of position papers and coordination of contract texts, according to
2 Russian diplomats straight involved in the procedure
Both we and Washington approached the meeting extremely seriously and thoroughly at the time, added among the diplomats.Initially, Moscow
aimed for a comparable four-to-five-month preparation period for a Putin-Trump summit
Developments on the battlefield and shifting political dynamics have actually forced the Kremlin to accelerate its timeline.If this drags on
too long, Washington might lose interest
Domestic opposition to engagement with Moscow is currently magnifying in the U.S., and European allies are applying pressure
Furthermore, Trump faces an even larger difficulty: managing relations with China, a Russian official near to the negotiations
explained.Though Russian officials do not feel immediate pressure to hold the conference, believing that things are complementing Ukrainian
forces retreating on the cutting edge, the scenario is nonetheless pushing them to move rapidly, 2 present Russian authorities involved in
the settlements said.Some Kremlin consultants argue that Moscow ought to show a higher desire to compromise, while others demand standing
However eventually, the decision rests with Putin alone.Some in Moscow also think that Russia must first consolidate its battlefield gains
before Putin meets Trump such as regaining the Kursk area and protecting control over occupied Ukrainian territories as much as their
In any case, the Americans are not our buddies and will seek to weaken and coerce Russia
The concern should be dealt with by force
Moreover, the more territory we seize, the more powerful our position will be, and the more accommodating Kyiv will become, said a
high-ranking Russian diplomat who recently retired.High stakesThe Kremlin is closely enjoying the Trump administrations stance to guarantee
Washington remains taken part in a potential handle Moscow.Beyond solving the war in Ukraine and the broader diplomatic war in between
Moscow and Washington, Russia wants to consist of a series of bilateral problems in the talks, including sanctions relief, U.S
financial investments in Arctic and Siberian tasks, access to critical technologies, arms control and tactical stability.For this reason,
the Oval Office clash in between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sparked stress and anxiety in Moscow as it threatened to
thwart the whole grand bargain.Disagreements over the summits timing emerged right away after Trumps inauguration and his first call with
Trump has actually repeatedly revealed a desire to meet with Putin as quickly as possible, while the Kremlin has been more mindful, avoiding
specific commitments.There is certainly a requirement to organize such a conference rather without delay, Putins press secretary, Dmitry
13, including later that specific subtleties remain
Privately, a number of Russian diplomats informed The Moscow Times in January and February that the dates first recommended by Trump were
unrealistic, identifying his urgency as signature Trump rhetoric.Unlike Trump, who favors fast, transactional deals, Russia insists on a
broader strategic discussion
Moscow is also figured out to avoid a repeat of the 2018 Helsinki summit, which the Kremlin now considers as a failure
While that meeting was cordial, it produced no concrete agreements.Both we and Trump require clear wins
Wins just originated from well-prepared, documented arrangements, and that needs substantial foundation, a Russian diplomat said.Preliminary
technical discussions between Russian and U.S
officials have already happened in Riyadh and Istanbul, where the 2 sides agreed to raise constraints on diplomatic staff and grant agrment
to the brand-new Russian ambassador to Washington.Now that Washington has actually secured Kyivs contract to a 30-day ceasefire, Moscow
faces its biggest challenge: taking part in substantive consultations on ending the war in Ukraine, which might show to be the toughest
problem to negotiate, sources told The Moscow Times.On Tuesday night, Trump revealed that his envoy, Steve Witkoff, would quickly visit
Moscow and recommended the possibility of a second call in between himself and Putin.Any ceasefire decision will depend on battlefield
Russian forces are presently attempting to surround Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk area, which has been partially under Kyivs control for
the previous 7 months.Moscow has previously said that it will not consent to a ceasefire without a detailed prepare for fixing the Ukraine
dispute that lines up with the Kremlins vision of a lasting peace, according to a Telegram post by the Kremlin-affiliated journal Russia in
Global Affairs.Rejecting a ceasefire threats damaging relations with Trump
Accepting it implies making concessions, former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev composed on Telegram
Well see how they steer through this.
