Trump’s First Foreign Visit to Meet Putin? by Stephen Lendman
Citing a London Sunday Times report, The Hill and Bloomberg said Trump’s first foreign trip as president is expected to be a summit with Vladimir Putin within weeks of his inauguration.
If the report is accurate, both leaders will meet in Reykjavik, Iceland. Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer denied it, tweeting “not true - report is 100% false.” A second tweet said “Nope, not true.”
According to the Sunday Times, Trump will meet with Putin at a neutral venue “very soon” to begin working on a deal to reduce numbers of nuclear weapons by both countries.
Reykjavik is symbolic, where Reagan and Gorbachev met on October 11 and 12, 1986. Though talks ended with no agreement, progress achieved led to the bilateral 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a significant achievement.
Reversing enormous damage in Russian/US relations by Bush/Cheney and Obama would be a historic achievement if accomplished.
Rapprochement with Russia, China and Iran is essential to have any chance for world peace and stability. Trump’s geopolitical agenda won’t be known until it begins unfolding once in office.
If America won’t to live in peace with all other countries, especially key ones, we’re all doomed.
A Russia/US summit early in Trump’s first year in office, easing tensions and indicating a desire for mutual cooperation, would be a major step back from the brink. Hopefully it’s in the works.
A Final Comment
Icelandic Foreign Minister Godhlaugur Thor Thordharson said his government “has not yet received a request regarding this meeting.”
“If officials in Washington turn to the Icelandic government with a formal request to organize a summit in Reykjavik, we will take it positively and turn it to our contribution to the improvement of relations between the US and Russia as it was at the Hofdi house in 1986.”
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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