The expert explained the softening of the US position on Russia

The Americans are unlikely to go for tougher rhetoric against Moscow ahead of the Russia-US summit scheduled for mid-June, the Europeans go much further than Washington in their statements, Andrei Sidorov, dean of the Moscow State University’s Department of World Politics, told RIA Novosti.

Earlier, the head of the European Parliament David Sassoli, against the backdrop of the emergency landing of a Ryanair plane in Belarus, called for considering tougher sanctions against Russian officials. Bloomberg, in turn, reported that the European Union has sent the US a draft joint statement for the summit, scheduled for June 15, in which it is proposed to report a decisive response to the “model of negative behavior” and “hostile actions” of Russia. The EU-US summit will be held in Brussels a day before the Russia-US summit in Geneva.

“The main picture emerging in the West is that the United States is softening its position, while its European allies are tightening it,” Sidorov said. According to the expert, it is now important for the EU as a whole to maintain tension with respect to Russia, since this is the only factor of consolidation. “The differences within are quite serious. One struggle around the Nord Stream is a clear example of the differences that exist in the European Union,” the expert emphasized.

“The Americans are slowing down, the European Union is pulling ahead in anti-Russian rhetoric and in policy of tightening sanctions,” he added.

According to the expert, “the Americans would not like to quarrel” before the summit of Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden. “It is important for Biden to hold a summit with Putin. … For Biden’s positioning, especially within the country, it would be very important to note that America is back, Biden is a global leader, the entire former presidency of Donald Trump is, as it were, leveled out, with Putin, like Trump, he can speak, “Sidorov said …

He believes that the Americans would not like to further increase the tension between the countries ahead of the summit. “In practice, there is multivariance, which complicates the entire diplomatic background and the agreements that, apparently, our Foreign Ministry and their State Department managed to reach at this meeting. Because, I think, even agreeing on a protocol will be quite difficult, given the existing situation in Russia. -American relations. <…> We no longer talk about improving relations, but about making our confrontation predictable, “the expert said.

The Russia-US summit is scheduled for June 16 in Geneva. Earlier, White House spokesman Jen Psaki said that Biden would discuss strategic stability, Ukraine and Belarus at a meeting with her Russian counterpart.

Pushkov appreciated Biden’s words about the upcoming meeting with Putin in Geneva

Moscow has something to show Washington if US President Joe Biden wants to discuss with Vladimir Putin the observance of human rights in Russia, Senator Alexei Pushkov wrote in a telegram. Earlier, the American president said that he would not allow human rights violations and intends to “make it clear” at a summit with the Russian leader.

“There will clearly not be an easy dialogue in Geneva. Biden is again making harsh statements about Putin,” Pushkov wrote. He stressed that Russia has something to do with the American side.

Pushkov voiced Biden’s installation before meeting with Putin. “For a start – to demand from Biden to stop persecuting Julian Assange and abandon the demand for his extradition to the United States,” the senator said.

The Russian and US presidents will hold talks on June 16 in Geneva. They are expected to discuss issues of strategic stability, the fight against the pandemic, the international agenda and regional conflicts.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed the hope that Putin and Biden will begin a dialogue on reviving the arms control regime, including the replacement of the START III treaty.

Washington is steadily stepping up its sanctions pressure on Moscow, using the “human rights situation” as a pretext for restrictions. In turn, the United States was included in the Russian list of unfriendly states. The Foreign Ministry noted that now relations between the countries are at an impasse and the main thing is to find ways to get out of it. At the same time, the Kremlin emphasized that the policy of restrictions against Moscow is not reaching its goal.