BEIJING, March 19. /TASS/. Tuesday’s phone call between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Donald Trump of the United States has moved Europe further towards the global margins, Zheng Renyi, an expert with the Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, told TASS.
"The telephone conversation itself makes it clear that Russia and the US are getting closer, which is irritating Europe and pushing it further to the periphery. Chances are that it will accelerate the self-arming process in Europe, making it more united, but it does not look very optimistic," the expert said.
In his opinion, there are too many differences in the way Russia, the United States and Europe itself are seen by European countries. "The North Atlantic Alliance, which used to be considered as an unshakeable pursuer of anti-Russian policies, no longer exists. European geopolitics is going through real changes," the analyst pointed out.
The conversation between the Russian and US leaders shows that Washington is actively searching for ways to resolve the issue, Zheng went on to say. "Meanwhile, since Europe and Ukraine have failed to put forward a workable plan, it is becoming impossible to effectively bring them to the main track of peace negotiations," the expert believes.
Putin and Trump held a phone call on March 18, discussing the idea of a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict, ways to prevent a further escalation of tensions and a number of international issues. The Russian leader supported the US president’s initiative for an energy and infrastructure ceasefire in Ukraine.