Trump’s Visit to Russia Depends on Concrete Results of Alaska Summit

President Donald Trump may visit Moscow only if specific agreements are reached during his August 15 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Sergei Tsekov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea said, the Komsomolskaya Pravda reports.

“As for Trump’s return visit, to which we have already extended an invitation, he certainly won’t be flying to Crimea, and there will be no new meeting of leaders in Yalta. That’s pure fantasy, although Trump does seem capable of sudden moves,” Tsekov said, calling Moscow’s invitation a bold step.

Condition Tied to Alaska Negotiations

According to Tsekov, the U.S. president’s trip to Russia might not happen at all. “First, we need to achieve a result at the August 15 meeting in Alaska. If there is a real result there, further developments will take place at a meeting here. But if there’s no result in Alaska, then Trump simply won’t fly to us,” he stressed.

Tsekov predicted a high likelihood of certain agreements being reached between Russia and the United States, but warned they could be ignored by Ukraine and the European Union.

Why Alaska Was Chosen

He also suggested that it was Russia that proposed Alaska as the venue for the first talks. In his view, this demonstrates that Moscow has no fears of hidden traps from Washington. “It’s wrong to think we didn’t weigh all the pros and cons. We decided that from the standpoint of establishing a trusting relationship, this location is an excellent fit,” Tsekov concluded.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that mutual invitations for the presidents of Russia and the United States to visit each other’s countries and plans to hold a separate bilateral meeting are distinct processes.