Gabriel Cortina
Graduate in High Studies on National Defense (CESEDEN)
One of the most eagerly awaited events on the international political agenda is the meeting that the presidents of the United States and Russia will have in a few days. The fact itself of the meeting is more relevant than the content of what they may discuss, since as part of the geopolitical game, characterized by confrontation, competition and cooperation, the main players are obliged to seek common positions on their interests and areas of influence.
The last meeting took place in 2018 with Trump as the protagonist, and to whom the international political reality has proved right on many issues. Today it is the turn of Biden, who will sit down before his Russian counterpart in the context of his first international trip as president. Remark to note: the Russian follows, the American changes. He will arrive after visiting the United Kingdom to take part in the G-7 meeting, and then Brussels to attend the NATO summit, the organization that calls the shots because it is the one that pays for it. Russia knows that it will return to the G-8, because taking on board the reality of Crimea is a matter of time, although the table where the capacity of influence resides is that of the UN Security Council.
The meeting between the two presidents will serve to try to iron out the differences after an escalation of tension and sanctions, and the White House has announced that its objective is to restore predictability and stability to the relationship between the United States and Russia. This meeting is the result of the tension dynamics of the Cold War and subsequent events, and its scenario is Eastern Europe, where America has allies and needs to strengthen its credibility, Russia has its zone of influence, and the European Union has Germany, whose interests count.
There is no optimism in the meeting, but seeing this is already a step forward, with a view to a possible starting point or as a policy of short steps. There is no official agenda of issues and not all problems will be solved. While aspects such as North Korea, nuclear proliferation, the situation in the Middle East, the instability of Ukraine and economic sanctions, or missile systems are very sensitive, we cannot forget the conflict and tensions that are not seen, but are increasingly important, and that is the reality of cyberspace.
Let’s not lose sight of the context following the Biden-Putin meeting. In the current geopolitical and geoeconomic changes, China’s growing international power and the importance of the Indo-Pacific for global prosperity and security should be highlighted.
The issues where there can be cooperation are those related to energy and the new market arising from decarbonization policies, the environment and, above all, the new space that is being created in the Arctic, where both share a border that is free of conflicts and open to opportunities.
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