Middle East countries are the most likely venues for a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump

 
Switzerland is ready to host talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, the Swiss Foreign Ministry’s spokesman confirmed to Izvestia. However, Moscow will hardly agree to that because Switzerland has lost its neutrality. Experts see Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as the most likely host countries.

The likelihood of a Putin-Trump meeting taking place in a European Union country is low due to Brussels’ attitude toward efforts to promote a peaceful solution initiated by some of the EU member states, namely Hungary. A country’s affiliation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which earlier issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president, may be another important obstacle.

It is the Middle Eastern nations—Qatar, the UAE, or Saudi Arabia—that are capable of providing a truly neutral platform for talks. On the one hand, they do not acknowledge the ICC’s jurisdiction, and on the other, they have been actively mediating between Moscow and Kyiv, particularly in facilitating exchanges of prisoners of war.

Qatar is the most likely candidate to host a Putin-Trump meeting, Middle East expert Leonid Tsukanov said. He points out that Doha has played a major role in the Gaza-related diplomatic process, which matters greatly to the US. "The UAE is a less likely option. Abu Dhabi has strong ties with Russia and the US, but it also benefits from their ongoing confrontation, acting as a temporary haven for the companies hit by sanctions, and the UAE will hardly be willing to change the status quo," Tsukanov noted.

Yelena Suponina, political scientist and Middle East expert, believes that Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are equally well-positioned to host a meeting between the two leaders. "They are rich monarchies, and Trump is known for his love of rich countries. The capacities of the three above-mentioned monarchies will definitely be used for arranging some consultations on the issue," she explained.

Finally, Turkey is also a candidate to consider. In the spring of 2022, it was in Istanbul that Russia and Ukraine resumed their talks, which had kicked off in Belarus. The Turkish leadership maintains working contact with both Russia and the West, Ilya Vedeneyev, Middle East expert and lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, clarified. "Second, the Turkish government, namely President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is promoting Turkey as an active participant in international relations capable of playing the role of mediator in conflicts between other countries as it lies between the East and the West," the analyst concluded.

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Sources: Media - News Agency - Officials