TASS reports: European leaders are trying to block a thaw in US-Russia relations; Russia may play a role in stalled US-Iran nuclear negotiations; and Elon Musk has publicly clashed with Donald Trump over tax policy and other issues. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia. Europeans are seeking to impede the normalization of Russia-US relations, but these efforts are largely ineffective as long as Russia and the United States remain committed to moving the process forward, Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev told Izvestia.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who met with Donald Trump on June 5 for the first time since his election, aimed to persuade Washington to adopt a tougher stance toward Moscow. Following the meeting, the US President stated that he could impose sanctions on both Russia and Ukraine should they fail to reach a mutual agreement. However, Trump’s phone conversation with Vladimir Putin on June 4 showed that Washington still prefers to pursue a path of dialogue.
Background
"There is no doubt whatsoever that Europeans are attempting to disrupt the normalization of Russian-American relations. The effectiveness of these efforts will not depend on European leaders, but rather on the leaders of Russia and the United States," Konstantin Kosachev told Izvestia. Europe is unlikely to exert a decisive influence over the direction of ongoing processes in US-Russian relations.
Key facts
- These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who met with Donald Trump on June 5 for the first time since his election, aimed to persuade Washington to adopt a tougher stance toward Moscow.
- Following the meeting, the US President stated that he could impose sanctions on both Russia and Ukraine should they fail to reach a mutual agreement.
- However, Trump’s phone conversation with Vladimir Putin on June 4 showed that Washington still prefers to pursue a path of dialogue.
- "There is no doubt whatsoever that Europeans are attempting to disrupt the normalization of Russian-American relations.
What this means
It simply lacks the power and political will to do so, the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council added. One of the objectives of Friedrich Merz’s visit was to show Trump that Europeans want to engage with him on equal terms, German political analyst Alexander Rahr told Izvestia. However, Merz is unlikely to achieve his goal, he added.
On June 4, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held their fourth phone conversation to date, reaffirming the American leader’s intention to pursue solutions rather than escalation. "Based on their phone call, it can be inferred that, for now, Trump does not consider it necessary to significantly tighten sanctions against Moscow, and he is not prepared to place sole responsibility on Russia, at least not unilaterally, for the difficulties that have emerged in the course of the Russian-Ukrainian dialogue," Andrey Kortunov added. Russia is prepared to join negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program if necessary, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated on June 5, commenting on a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.
Originally reported by TASS. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
