According to Ushakov, Putin and Trump spoke on the phone for nearly an hour /exactly 55 minutes, Trump says/ and the conversation was "cordial". The first of the foreign leaders, Trump said, Putin congratulated the American president on his 80th birthday. And he did so with "dear, Donald, you are a brilliant politician", and Trump confided that he does not like the number 80.
American humor, but Putin also gets into tune with "because you are full of energy and vitality". In our slang, in such cases they say "these two are seriously going", but we are talking about geopolitical players of the highest rank, who assure each other that by stopping military actions they will work together for global security and for building Russian-American relations. Trump does not fail to congratulate on Russia Day, celebrated on June 12, and speaks of "the joint contribution to the victory in World War II, which must not be forgotten".
In fact, Russia and the USA have never fought each other, they were allies in both world wars, and the Russians have their contribution to the American battles for independence, and in the fight against the warriors of the Kingdom. Now they are discussing Iran, the Persian Gulf, the situation in Ukraine and thanking each other for "making proposals for constructive solutions", which they add with "readiness to work on issues in the future".
Trump repeats that "conflicts must be ended as soon as possible, which will lead to the building of Russian-American relations", and Putin confides that "Kiev's attempts to launch attacks will not change the critical situation for Ukraine". But he does not fail to say that "Ukraine's attacks on civilian targets on Russian territory are an obstacle to resolving the problems". He emphasizes that "Zelensky must not forget the tragedy of the Holocaust" and he has asked that this be conveyed to him at the G-7 summit in France. If he wanted to meet with Putin, he should have gone to Moscow. Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, would be there again in a few days.
There is no way Putin would not wish for "successful holding of the World Cup" and, by the way, extend his best wishes to Melania Trump, who contributed to "the return of Russian and Ukrainian children to their families". The diplomatic ball is completely in tune with the classic rules, and this is no small thing against the background of the worrying and militarizing world in which we live. Neither confrontation has been completely abandoned, nor will the dilemma between war and peace be at the expense of one's own interests.
There will be attacks, and behind-the-scenes painful blows will be dealt at the least expected moment, and unkind words will be brought to the attention of the "friend.....". Because this is the terrain of the greats who arrange the pieces of world chess and wait for the first one to checkmate in order to maintain leading positions, dictate the rules and make others comply. If they want to have them.
But those who know a little about history know that even allies, the European powers that fought Napoleon together with the Russians, left them alone for days to fight Napoleon's army and delayed the reinforcement of European territory, almost in front of Paris. The same as with the opening of a second front against Hitler at Normandy. They delayed it until the very end and Stalin had to pray a lot, because 27 million Russian citizens died in this war. It is a matter of interests and they have not changed. It is evident.
Trump is jubilant with the announcement of the memorandum of understanding with Iran because he is taking away from the Democrats in Washington some of their trump cards for attacks on his image. And it is possible that he will turn the results of the midterm elections on November 3rd in his favor. Never mind that the Democrats call the deal with Iran "capitulation". A breath of fresh air for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Finally, a peace-making statement, despite the angry reactions in Tel Aviv. Israel has been left out of the negotiation process because it"gets in the way". And "it should be grateful, it benefits it" says Trump. And he doesn't spare himself ugly words for Netanyahu. The deal, if signed in Geneva on Friday, stipulates that Israel will leave Lebanon and that the attacks there will stop immediately. However, the Lebanese issue is a topic that directly affects Damascus in Syria.
Recently, there have been obvious disagreements between Washington and Damascus. It is also not very certain that the planned visit of Sharaa, the acting president of Syria, to Washington will take place. He has categorically rejected claims that he will send troops to Lebanon, calling them rumors. The request came from the United States. The refusal was followed by new conditions for Syria. In the defense budget bill prepared by the US Senate Armed Services Committee, defense support for the Syrian government is linked to the disarmament of foreign fighters in the country.
The US wants Syria to play an important role in disarming Hezbollah. And even the option of deploying a Syrian army in eastern Lebanon is being considered. Damascus says that direct Syrian involvement in a regional conflict would create new risks and could increase sectarian tensions. Sharaa met with the leader of the Lebanese Druze, Jumblatt, and confirmed that Syria will not interfere in Lebanon's internal affairs. He is sending a "message for a new era" because "the tension with Hezbollah and the Shiites in Lebanon has long passed".
Sharaa's exact words are "if Iran had suffered a defeat, the Israeli army would have entered Damascus today and I would have had to go to Idlib". He adds that "the complete elimination of Iran would shift the balance of power in the region in favor of Israel". Explanation of Tel Aviv's position on the prepared and already agreed upon agreement between the US and Iran to cease hostilities, open Hormuz and "let the oil flow", as Trump writes. It is known that Syria, represented by Sharaa, has stated 3 times in recent weeks that it is "not inclined to take a direct military role in Lebanon".
In this regard, they say, Ankara has been conducting "back door diplomacy"; i.e. has been making intensive efforts to keep Sharaa away from the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. To the displeasure of Israel. Ankara definitely believes that the complete elimination of Hezbollah would make Israel stronger in the region. Negotiations were also held about the Russian bases in Syria, which are already being renovated, and Sharaa is thus finding a way to maintain a balance between East and West.
Tom Barak, US ambassador to Ankara and special representative for Syria and Iraq, stated that "Damascus is assigned a special role in the Lebanese file in terms of the regional balance". Washington would increase the pressure on Sharaa for foreign fighters and Russia. While Damascus, not without the support of Turkey, is trying to manage the process according to its own priorities and does not want to sever ties with Moscow. But recently, discussions in Congress have touched precisely on the issue of the Russian bases of Tartus and Hmeimim in Syria. So much for "friend Trump". And for Israel/Turkey relations, which often go on the wave of "after Iran, Turkey follows".
And against this background, Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister, is traveling to Moscow at the invitation of Lavrov. It is assumed that he will also meet with Putin. The discussions are expected to cover diplomatic processes related to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, current developments in the Black Sea, Azerbaijan, Palestine and the Middle East. Fidan will also meet with Turkish businessmen in Russia. Ankara expects Fidan to confirm Turkey's commitment to continuing diplomatic efforts to achieve lasting peace in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and to express its readiness to host a new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, as in 2022 and 2025.
The latest events in the Black Sea /Sofia, be careful!/ will also be discussed, because Fidan has repeatedly stated that "the growing tension in the region poses a risk to global security". Ankara is interested in a ceasefire covering the security of shipping, energy infrastructure and ports, which should be put on the negotiating table for discussion. Fidan was to tell Lavrov that Turkey supports the establishment of a lasting peace between the US and Iran, and will point out the importance of returning to the pre-war situation in Hormuz and protecting freedom of navigation.
Fidan will insist in these talks that the international community continue to support the Damascus administration in ensuring stability in Syria. Another topic of the talks was expected to be the situation in Gaza. According to Ankara, "Israel's aggressive and expansionist policy in Gaza threatens regional security and stability. It is necessary to cease the fire by Israel in Gaza, its steps to expand illegal settlements in the West Bank and the occupation of Lebanon. Fidan would support the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, despite the opposition in Yerevan's disputed election results.
According to Fidan, lasting peace in the Caucasus would be in the interests of both Turkey and Russia. Otherwise, the volume of trade between Russia and Turkey had reached 49 billion in 2025. The number of Russian tourists was 7 million and the first reactor of the "Akuyu" nuclear power plant was expected to be operational this year. Ankara is looking to Washington, actively preparing the NATO summit in July, with Trump present, but relations with Russia are maintained energetically and with an undisguised desire for new dividends. As they say, Turkish skill and a lot of experience in defending its own interests. Above all, sovereignty and independence. Decisions should be made in Ankara, but always with one eye on both the East and the West. It is worth the effort.