(MENAFN) As the anticipated summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump approaches, Moscow and Washington seem to have fundamentally different objectives. The US aims to maintain the current situation while achieving a tangible outcome it can present as progress on Ukraine—this might range from a partial ceasefire to a complete halt of hostilities.

Russia, however, is seeking long-term, legally binding agreements that comprehensively address Russia-US and Russia-Ukraine relations, including enforcement measures to prevent any party from undermining or abandoning the deal.

The current US-Russia relationship is still marked by Cold War-era tensions, making this summit reminiscent of the intense diplomacy of the past, similar to secret meetings on the Glienicke Bridge where spies were exchanged. Like those delicate exchanges, the talks in 2025 require both sides to cautiously move toward compromise.

The very fact that the summit is taking place indicates a tactical narrowing of differences. Russia took the initiative by hosting US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow, signaling Moscow’s willingness to negotiate. Meanwhile, Washington appears eager to push talks forward.

Time favors Moscow, as Putin recently emphasized in discussions with Belarusian President Lukashenko. Trump, conversely, faces multiple domestic pressures and urgently needs a foreign policy achievement. Successfully advancing peace in Ukraine could be a major diplomatic victory for Trump, complementing his efforts to ease other global conflicts and potentially positioning him as a serious contender for the Nobel Peace Prize.

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