MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. Talks between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, will help improve relations and restore business and cultural ties between the two countries, American political commentator Steve Gill told TASS.
"The meeting between President Trump and President Putin in Alaska set the stage for real progress towards peace in Ukraine and a resumption of positive business and diplomatic relations between the US and Russia," Gill, who served as director of intergovernmental affairs for the US trade representative in the Executive Office of the President under both George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations, said.
According to the expert, "President Trump and President Putin reached agreement on several important issues, although the details have not been made public." "They clearly have respect for each other, and when they can communicate directly, they both have a better understanding of the points of agreement and the points of disagreement that still remain unresolved. I think their meeting, and likely future meetings soon, increase the resumption of business between the two countries," he added.
In Gill’s view, Putin and Trump "made progress towards negotiating joint efforts in developing the Arctic." "There was apparently some discussion of reopening air travel between the US and Russia, which would speed the process of resuming business and diplomatic relations sooner rather than later," the expert noted.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Donald Trump of the United States held a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on August 15. Putin told the media after the talks that the parties had focused on resolving the Ukraine conflict. The Russian leader also called for turning the page in bilateral relations and going back to cooperation. Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow. The US leader, in turn, pointed to progress in the negotiation process but noted that the parties had not been able to agree on all issues.