Trump, Putin joint statement to mark Elbe meeting stirs concern

Donald Trump has issued a symbolic joint statement with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019. Picture: AFP

US President Donald Trump has issued a symbolic joint statement with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, in a move that has stirred debate within the Trump administration and spawned concern in congress, according to people familiar with the document.

The unusual declaration released on Saturday (Sunday AEST) is intended to commemorate the 75th anniversary of a meeting between American and Soviet troops at the Elbe River on April 25, 1945.

The broader intent is to underscore how the two nations can put aside their differences for a larger purpose, according to people familiar with its drafting.

“The ‘Spirit of the Elbe’ is an ­example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and co-operate in pursuit of a greater cause,” it states.

But the move comes as the Pentagon and the State Department have complained about ­Russia’s behaviour, and many ­officials remain deeply wary of Moscow’s intentions. A US National Security Council spokesman declined to comment.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon complained that Russian fighter jets twice buzzed US Navy planes over the Mediterranean, while American defence officials have accused Russia-based news organisations of spreading disinformation about the coronavirus. At the State Department, officials have repeatedly complained that Russia was providing critical military support for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s ongoing offensive in Idlib province.

“I am sure this was a Russian initiative,” said Angela Stent, a former US intelligence analyst and author of Putin’s World, a book on the Russian leader. “Putin wants validation from the United States that today’s Russia, like the Soviet Union, is a great power.”

Some congress members and congressional staff who had been alerted to the statement in advance privately expressed their concerns. Some officials within the administration have also been concerned about the decision to issue the statement, fearing that it may undercut the stern US messages towards Moscow, according to a person familiar with the internal deliberations.

Joint statements commemorating Elbe Day by Russian and US leaders have been rare. Barack Obama and then Russian president Dmitry Medvedev issued such a declaration in 2010.

That took place as the Obama administration was trying to “reset” relations with a new Russian leader and came shortly after the two sides had signed the New START agreement cutting long-range nuclear weapons.

The US has had a complicated relationship with Russia. The Pentagon has cast Russia and China as its primary adversaries, and last year the US withdrew from the ­Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty after accusing Moscow of deploying an illegal cruise missile. The Russians denied the ­allegation. But at times the administration has also sought to co-­operate with Moscow.

Mr Trump has spoken with Mr Putin several times in recent weeks as the US sought to end the dispute between Russia and Saudi Arabia over oil production that has aggravated the oversupply in the market. They also discussed the coronavirus crisis.

Russian analysts say Mr Putin recently has tried to boost his capital with Western leaders, and particularly Mr Trump, by showing through the oil deal that Moscow can work with the global community in times of crisis.

Earlier this month, Russia’s ambassador to the US said planned ceremonies between Russian and US officials to commemorate the meeting at the Elbe had been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Putin also had invited Mr Trump to come to Moscow for the May 9 celebration of the World War II victory, which would have been his first official visit to Russia as President.

Mr Trump decided not to go and to send National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien. Russia later postponed the date of the celebration due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Wall Street Journal