Negotiations are a constructive step towards Russia from the US – Pavel Dubravskiy

Speaking with Alpha News, Pavel Dubravskiy, political strategist and head of Dubravskiy Consulting, commented on the talks between Russia and the US in Riyadh.

“I would say that we should not have high expectations. We should not expect the world to change now, and even more so the international system of relations to change, because, firstly, we see that the American side does not include the European side in the talks. The European side is resisting this. French President Macron convened an urgent meeting of representatives of the EU countries. The news came out that the EU will continue to impose sanctions, and it seems to me that this is the key thing that definitely deserves attention. Secondly, I would consider the negotiations as stage zero.

This is preparation for the negotiations, where the parties will understand what they are ready to discuss and the format of the negotiations. Plus, I would advise all listeners, viewers, and readers to pay attention to the following: such talks are held in two formats. The first is formal; this is what we will see on TV and in all the media, and the second is informal. And it is more important to pay attention to the informal approach because we most likely will not see it and will find out about it later,” Dubravskiy said.

According to the political strategist, the US now views Russia as a competitor, as an opponent in the region with disparate interests, but not as an enemy.

“If we consider these negotiations as a positive trend, it is worth considering it in the context of time. Firstly, we see that the US now views Russia as a competitor, as an opponent in the region with dissimilar interests, but not an enemy. This is the first thing to take into account. Secondly, Donald Trump is a person who professes the principle that America comes first, and only then the interests of other countries. And thirdly, the Donald Trump administration came for 4 years, and the Russian side has already got used to the fact that every 4 years the US approach to Russia can change dramatically.

We saw this under Obama, we saw Trump, who at the beginning of his previous term had a positive attitude towards Russia, and then imposed more sanctions than Barack Obama did. And we saw this under Biden, who since 2022 has decided to choose a policy of non-communication; he has practically not made any contacts. Therefore, I would be quite skeptical about this, and it is better to expect the worst than to hope that everything will be resolved and the US will sharply reconsider its attitude towards Russia. But the United States truly takes a constructive step towards Russia, and it can be assessed positively,” Dubravskiy concluded.