The world awaits to know what will happen to Donald trump on his second foreign trip as US President. Among his meetings, it is the one with Russian President Vladimir Putin that is the most anticipated.
It would be the first face-to-face meeting between the two former BFFs who are suspected of conniving in 2016 for Trump to win the U.S. presidential election. The uncertainty of this first meeting comes from the fact that even Trump’s aides do not know what the billionaire will say when he meets Putin, The New York Times reported.
Unpredictable utterances
To worsen the air of uncertainty, Trump is known for being unpredictable when he talks, The New York Times added. The discussion with Putin on the sidelines of the G20 meeting, however, is necessary because of critical disputes that separate the two superpowers. The talks are also risky for Trump because of the ongoing investigation in the U.S. of his campaign’s alleged collusion with Russia and questions about how willing is he to confront Russia for Kremlin’s military aggression and Moscow’s alleged election meddling on Trump’s behalf.
Steven Pifer, a former ambassador to Ukraine, confirmed a fair amount of nervousness in the White House and at the State Department over the meeting with Putin.
The worry comes from how his aides will manage the talks because of the potential risks such as deals that Trump would make with Putin would be under heavy scrutiny due to a possible suspicion it would be a giveaway to the Russians.
The New York Times, however, said Trump is not worried about the meeting with Putin. He is more annoyed by the possibility that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other G20 leaders would scold the president for his tough immigration policy and the U.S.
pulling out of the Paris climate agreement.
Poland meeting
Before Trump would meet Putin, he met Polish President Andrzej Duda when he visited Warsaw on Thursday. According to Radio Poland, the country’s leaders wand Trump to confirm that the American soldiers deployed in Poland, who worry about the security of the region after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, will stay in Eastern Europe as long as there is a threat from the East remains, Witold Waszczykowski, Polish foreign minister, said.
During the 16 hours that Trump is expected to stay in Poland, Duda is expected to emphasize the threat posed by Russia. Krzystof Szczerski, a top aide to the Polish president, said Poland wants talks with Trump in Warsaw “to result in a feeling that we are working together for a stronger Europe and for stronger Euro-Atlantic ties.” Since Poland is the strongest country in the region economically, the aide said the talks would be an overview of opportunities for economic partnership and entering into new American-Polish deals. After Poland, Trump will fly to Hamburg, Germany, for the G20 summit meeting.
