Vladimir Putin has been preparing for this moment for several months: scheduled for today’s meeting with the us President Donald trump, perhaps the most anticipated event of the summit of “big twenty” in Hamburg. During the American presidential race of 2016, Russian President and a Republican remotely exchanged pleasantries. And now it will be clear whether a feasible pre-election statements of the trump that you can get along with Putin.
In recent times the mood in relations between Washington and Moscow deteriorated significantly. Trump immediately prior reproached the master of the Kremlin in an attempt of destabilization and hacker attacks, during the us elections. Brilliant accusations because he himself was a beneficiary of these attacks against the team of his rival in the elections, Hillary Clinton.
But Putin has tightened the tone: when you trump us-Russian relations continue to deteriorate, he said. From the former praise of trump, whom he described as a bright and talented person, there is only irony. On critical issues, such as climate or free trade, it was in an article for Handelsblatt in an unexpected way distanced himself from the policy of the American President. Suddenly illiberal Putin is a supporter of free trade and climate Saviour — with the obvious subtext, after all, free trade means that Putin and an end to sanctions against Russia.
This is one of the strengths of 64-year-old President he perfectly knows all the subtleties of the political game. A lot that does and says the Russian President, has a double meaning. Macho, who represents trump, Putin can easily overshadow their own performances. Whether bare-chested on horseback in Siberia, playing in the snow with his dogs or at the helm of the bomber Tu-160. The master of the Kremlin is able to present himself as the embodiment of power. In verbal terms, it is also strong, when in the “in case you need to wet terrorists in a toilet”, accuses the US of “political schizophrenia” or casual notes that you could “take Kiev in two weeks”.
Front of a large audience during the “Straight line”, he appears in the role of father of the Fatherland, and strict king who calls on the officials to perform the duties. There is a certified lawyer says highlighted quietly, he is known as a good listener who is responsive, reliable. To inspire confidence and to get information — it is also long been included in the tasks of Putin when he is in the period from 1985 to 1990 he served as a foreign agent in the GDR. Then he was promoted to Director of the FSB and President of Russia he became, when not yet was widely known.
Agency school, which Putin was in KGB, he may be useful in the course of communication with trump. While unpredictable, the American President, it seems, rarely thought further than their next tweet, Putin can wait for his moment and then all discouraging.
In foreign policy, he achieved their goals. The Syrian conflict has long been overshadowed by the Ukrainian crisis and the middle East, Putin — the master of the situation. Where trump only “rumbles”, Putin is long-acting. So, this week during a meeting with the head of China XI Jinping, he enlisted the help of another player, who had remained mostly behind the scenes.
Unity with trump would be nice, but to Putin it is not necessary to continue to dominate the repertoire in the coming years.
