Alaska without symbolism: the meeting between Putin and Trump is just the beginning of a series of meetings

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a meeting in Hamburg. Photo: Evan Vucci / AP Photo
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The meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump in Alaska will mark the beginning of a complex diplomatic work, said political scientist Alexander Asafov.

"I think we will have a long series of meetings at different levels. It is already known about the return meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, possibly on the territory of Russia," Channel Five quotes the expert as saying.

Asafov does not expect major breakthroughs at the initial stage of negotiations.

"In general, I would not expect any breakthroughs, because on a lot of issues - not only the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis — we need to talk, we need to negotiate. This includes the Arctic, control over conventional and non—conventional weapons, and, of course, duties, tariffs, sanctions - the whole set of points of contact between Russia and the United States that need to be discussed. There is, indeed, quite difficult, serious diplomatic work ahead," Asafov stressed.

The meeting place of the leaders of the two countries — Alaska — looks symbolic, but in the current situation, the political scientist believes, there is no deep symbolism.