In a Moscow tourist shop, Russian nesting dolls featuring the faces of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump line up next to each other — the Russian leader standing slightly taller than his American counterpart.
Hopes are high in the Russian capital that Friday’s summit in Alaska will bring the two men even closer together — paving the way to ending the conflict with Ukraine, triggered by Moscow’s February 2022 military offensive.
“I think that positive decisions will be taken at the summit. The war that is going on will end,” said Boris, a 60-year-old tax inspector walking along Moscow’s famed Arbat street.
After a series of phone calls, the presidents will meet face-to-face for the first time since Trump returned to the White House in a high-stakes summit to see if a deal can be struck to end the fighting.
Nerves are high in Ukraine, which is not invited to the summit, and across Europe, that Trump will undercut Kyiv and offer Putin a favourable deal.
The Russian leader has already rejected multiple calls for a ceasefire, including directly from Trump, and has outlined a string of hardline territorial demands from Ukraine if it wants the Russian army to halt its advance.
But pensioner Gennady, 85, is among those hopeful this time will be different.
“Enough with the fighting. It’s time to reach an agreement,” he told AFP.
“The people of America, Ukraine, and Russia are peaceful people, and they want peace in the world,” said Irina, a 65-year-old teacher.
Trump has spent months trying to broker an end to a conflict that has killed tens of thousands, destroyed much of southern and eastern Ukraine, and forced millions to flee their homes.
– ‘Nothing particularly good’ –
But not everyone in Moscow believes a breakthrough is possible.
“If I’m being a realist, nothing particularly good is expected,” said Vladimir, 69.
“The only thing this summit can achieve is that at some point, they will find some kind of way to halt some of the fighting. In the air or at sea, maybe,” he added.
“But on the whole, of course, there will be no end to the hostilities. The two sides have completely opposite positions,” he added.
Putin has also repeatedly pointed to the gulf in positions between Moscow and Kyiv.
Moscow wants Ukraine to cede more territory, renounce its Western military backing, and give up on NATO membership.
Kyiv says it will never accept territorial concessions and wants tough Western-backed security guarantees and troops on the ground to enforce any ceasefire — demands already rejected by the Kremlin.
Amid the uncertainty, even those selling the matryoshka dolls were hedging their bets.
“Maybe next week we’ll have one with Putin and Trump together,” said a saleswoman at one shop.
“It all depends on the outcome of the summit.”
AFP
