№ 6, 2024. We’ve heard the gossip that Middle Eastern countries could become the venue for the first Russian-American summit after Trump’s inauguration

Gossip Column

We’ve heard the gossip that Middle Eastern countries could become the venue for the first Russian-American summit after Trump’s inauguration…

The comment below was first published in the Telegram channel of Leonid Tsukanov, PIR Center consultant, Лаврентий Аравийский.

The day of Donald Trump’s official inauguration as President of the United States is steadily approaching. And the Republicans are eagerly fueling public anticipation with promises of a high-level Russian-American summit — akin to the Geneva summit between Putin and Biden, but adjusted for current geopolitical realities (and, of course, without Biden).

However, Switzerland is unlikely to serve as the meeting venue this time — especially since Geneva has lost its reputation as a “neutral ground.” Besides, there is a desire to bring a fresh dynamic to the stagnant dialogue.

A promising option could be Middle Eastern countries, particularly the Arabian monarchies, which have taken turns playing the role of international mediators in recent years.

The UAE and Qatar could serve as “equidistant” venues from both Moscow and Washington, while Saudi Arabia also has some chances.

That said, the Gulf states themselves have yet to decide whether they are ready for such a development.

Read more on the topic:

1. Océane Van Geluwe. US-Soviet/Russian Relations in the Times of Crises: Lessons Learned from the Esalen Track 1.5 Diplomacy / Ed. Ksenia Mineeva, Leonid Tsukanov. M.: PIR Center, 2023. – 19 p. – (Security Index Occasional Paper Series). URL: https://pircenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SIGLO-4-38-Van-Geluwe.pdf
2. Dmitry Trenin. On a New Global Order and Its Nuclear Dimension. An Interview / Ed. Elena Karnaukhova, Leonid Tsukanov. M.: PIR Center, 2023. – 20 p. – (Security Index Occasional Paper Series). URL: https://pircenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SI-INT-2-36-Trenin.pdf
3. A Fortochka In Increasingly Heated Russian-American Relations / Edward Kendall. M.: PIR Press, 2022. – 15 p. – (Security Index Occasional Paper Series). URL: https://pircenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/A-Fortochka-In-Increasingly-Heated-Russian-American-Relations.pdf

Keywords: Russia-US; Strategic Stability; International Security

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F4/SOR – 24/12/27