'Ball is in Putin's court': Italy's foreign minister on Alaska summit
Photo: Russian leader Vladimir Putin (Russian media)
Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani believes that the outcome of the Alaska summit will largely depend on the Kremlin leader's willingness to engage in genuine dialogue. Tajani is convinced that the ball is in the court of Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to the Italian outlet RaiNews.
"We can hope that this will be a turning point and that after this meeting, real negotiations can begin between Russia and Ukraine, between Putin and Zelenskyy. That is what we should hope for. We need to understand whether this outcome can be the fruit of this first meeting, which is completely different," Tajani said.
When asked who the success of the summit depends on, he replied that it depends on Putin.
"I don’t know how willing he will be to listen to President Trump's demands or how much he wants to reach a ceasefire to quickly end the war. The question is not so much what Trump will ask, but what Putin will be ready to accept. The ball is in his court. He must be the one to say whether he wants dialogue and whether he wants to meet with Zelenskyy or not," the Italian foreign minister stated.
Tajani stressed that the key to the summit is Putin's readiness for dialogue, and that his true desire to end the war will be clear from how he responds to Trump's proposals.
In the minister's opinion, at this stage, Russia is trying to strengthen its positions as much as possible.
Trump–Putin summit in Alaska
Today, August 15, US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska to discuss a possible end to Russia's war against Ukraine.
Reuters, citing sources, wrote that Putin and Trump may agree on initial terms for a ceasefire without Ukraine's participation.
Meanwhile, ISW suggests that the Kremlin will likely try to use the Alaska summit to secure a loosening of Western sanctions, shifting the focus from the war in Ukraine to economic issues in US–Russia relations.
Read about three possible scenarios following the Trump–Putin meeting in Alaska in RBC-Ukraine's article.
