Main issue of Trump-Putin meeting will not be territories — expert

At the talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, scheduled for August 15 in Alaska, the main issue will not be the Ukrainian territories that remain under occupation. In fact, the Kremlin leader will be negotiating the lifting of sanctions on Russia.

This opinion was expressed by Doctor of Historical Sciences and political analyst Vadym Denysenko on the air of Espreso TV.

«In Alaska, Trump and Putin are to discuss how and in what format sanctions on Russia will be lifted. The effectiveness of these talks will depend on whether such a format is chosen and what it will be, ” he said.

As for the territories that will remain under Russian occupation, Denysenko believes the United States already has a fairly clear position — the current border is essentially the front line.

«In fact, the future border will run along the line of contact, with the occupied territories being recognized de facto as Russian, but de jure no one will recognize them. On this issue, the U.S. will follow the example of the Baltic states when they were part of the USSR. In 1945, these countries were re-incorporated into the USSR, but the U.S. and Europe did not recognize them de jure as part of the Soviet Union, ” Denysenko explained.