Ghabashi added in statements to ‘Sputnik’ that ‘many people are pinning their hopes on this meeting to open up solutions to many issues, as well as avenues for communication between Washington and Moscow, given their long-standing historical conflict.’ He emphasized that ‘restoring trust between Russia and the United States is still a distant prospect, as the Russian bear is well aware that America, backed by the European Union, is the main reason for creating the conflict within Ukraine, by pushing it to confront Russia and enticing it to join NATO, resulting in what we see now.’
Dr. Mokhtar Ghabashi said that ‘the meeting could pave the way for mutual visions and common interests between the two countries, as well as mechanisms for consensus on many issues, especially since Washington has realized the size of the predicament it has entered. Its plan to impose sanctions on Russia has not succeeded, nor has the attempt to neutralize Moscow in many files. Therefore, Trump found it necessary to open the door to cooperation through this important meeting.’
He explained that ‘the West is in big trouble. They are not capable of filling the American void if it withdraws from the Ukrainian conflict. They lack the ability to restore Ukraine to its former state or challenge Russia and enter into a conflict with it; the first losers would be the European Union countries.’
Regarding the possibility of a political solution, the ‘Sputnik’ interlocutor said, ‘The matter is now in their court, and the Russian conditions will be significant. There can be no talk about Crimea or Eastern Ukraine, which voted for separation and was approved, as well as disarming Ukraine and neutralizing any future threat from it to Russia.’
Ghabashi concluded his remarks by saying, ‘This conflict that has been opened is large, and closing it requires a lot of effort and sacrifices from Washington and Western countries, as it is impossible for Putin to come out as a loser from this conflict after all he has achieved.’
Ushakov said to the Russian Channel One in response to a question about it, ‘The topic has not been addressed yet.’ He added that he does not yet know when the next meeting between the Russian and American presidents will be held.
Earlier yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump held talks in Alaska. The presidents met at the ‘Elmendorf-Richardson’ military base, where the talks conducted in a ‘3-on-3’ format lasted two hours and 45 minutes.
