On the eve of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, the Western media are actively suggesting how the event will take place, including one of its key moments, the first personal meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
German Media's opinion
German media wrote that the summit will be interesting, primarily because of the difficult situation in the international arena and the "personal characteristics" of the participants.
Sueddeutsche Zeitung journalists noted that President Donald Trump is attracting special attention, as he will meet with fellow leaders for the first time in this setting. The publication points to two main factors that will affect the atmosphere of the summit: a renewed rivalry between China and the United States, and Trump's promise he made while campaigning to build a "special relationship" with Putin.
At the same time, the German press suggested that nobody should pin hopes on the negotiations between the presidents in Hamburg. The meeting soon will show what kind of relations will develop in the future between the heads of the world's great powers.
Bild stressed that even if President Trump wants to contribute to improving relations with Russia, his hands will be tied. At the same time, Bild noted that the chosen negotiation format could have great value. If an official meeting takes place, this will be a sign of the good relations between Russia and the United States.
Die Welt also drew attention to the limited possibilities Trump can act on with regards to Russia. In the U.S., President Trump is under intense pressure, and American politicians will follow every gesture in Hamburg. The U.S. Treasury recently expanded the sanctions list against Moscow and senators from both parties agreed to pass a law depriving the president of the right to cancel anti-Russian measures.
Journalists, therefore, speculate that Trump has almost no chance to improve relations with Moscow.
American media's opinion about Trump-Putin meeting
The American media are also discussing the upcoming meeting of the Russian and American presidents. As Newsweek noted, Putin's determination will face Trump's habit of turning every handshake into both a symbolic and physical strength test.
CNN quoted a former official of the Barack Obama administration, Derek Chollet, who expected an Olympic level of superiority contesting from both leaders. CNN noted that the meeting is of special strategic importance because now the countries are experiencing the most dangerous stage of bilateral relations since the Cold War.
Bloomberg correspondent Michael McKee drew attention to the fact that although President Trump is going to a meeting without any specific plan, he will be facing off against Putin, who has a reputation as a tough negotiator and is a very strong leader.
In the opinion of The Guardian journalist Julian Borger, the upcoming meeting could be a difficult test for Trump, primarily due to the fact that during the talks, his words, facial expressions, and gestures will be "scrupulously analyzed" for "Russian influence."
At the first meeting, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will be able to "measure their strength," the French newspaper Le Monde said. In addition, the complex situation, aggravated by the recent North Korean trials, forces Trump to seek allies.
Neither his visit to Poland nor the dialogue with Chinese leader Xi Jinping will have a value for Trump that is comparable to the meeting with Vladimir Putin, the publication stressed.
According to journalists, the main topics of discussion will be the situation in the Middle East, the Syrian crisis, Ukraine and sanctions against Moscow, as well as "Russian interference" in the U.S. presidential elections 2016.