MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. The leaders of Russia and the United States spoke over the phone on Wednesday, and Armenia’s parliament takes a step toward joining the EU. Meanwhile, Washington scales back support for Ukraine. These stories topped Thursday’s newspaper headlines in Russia. Izvestia: Putin, Trump discuss Ukraine, Middle East, Iran nuclear deal in phone talks On February 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US leader Donald Trump spoke over the phone for almost 90 minutes. Among other topics, the two leaders discussed a prisoner swap: Moscow and Washington agreed to release American citizen Mark Fogel and free Russian national Alexander Vinnik from American jail. Also, the two politicians raised the issue of the Ukraine crisis, with Trump favoring putting an end to the hostilities there as soon as possible. Putin expressed his readiness to welcome US officials in Russia on topics of mutual interest, including the resolution in Ukraine. Besides, Putin and Trump agreed to hold an in-person meeting.
In an interview with Izvestia, Konstantin Blokhin, a leading researcher at the Center for Security Studies, drew comparisons between the latest Russian-US prisoner swap and the previous large-scale exchange in August. “Back then, there was a practical purpose, but now things are perceived as a sign of goodwill with the aim of creating a positive environment toward a fruitful dialogue between the two countries,” he said. While it is clear that negotiations will be complicated and take time, the dialogue already underway is being conducted in a different atmosphere, he maintained. Andrey Kortunov, research director of the Russian International Affairs Council, expects that Russia and the United States will likely issue instructions to corresponding agencies, diplomats, and the two countries’ militaries to work toward a meeting between the two leaders. “Much will depend on lower-level efforts,” he told Izvestia. It’s noteworthy that the US leader continued telephone diplomacy by calling Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky. The conversation went “very well,” Trump said. “He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social media. It is significant that the call from Washington was made to Moscow first and then to Kiev, signaling to Ukraine that it may receive the same priority in the future, noted Tigran Meloyan, an analyst at the HSE Center for Mediterranean Studies. “The phone conversation marks the end of the so-called ‘international’ isolation of Russia. Without direct engagement with Moscow, it has become clear that certain international issues, particularly in terms of security, cannot be resolved,” the expert concluded. While the Putin-Trump discussion has been viewed positively, it is premature to assume it will improve relations between Russia and the West: dissatisfaction with the recent talks was apparent in Europe, and some US politicians also referred to them as a surrender to Moscow. Nevertheless, the conversation “charted a long and difficult course that will involve numerous future contacts, but what is crucial is that both sides are prepared to pursue it through dialogue,” Meloyan added. Vedomosti: Armenia embarks on path toward accession to EU On Wednesday, the National Assembly of Armenia, the republic’s unicameral legislature, adopted the first reading of a government-endorsed bill on initiating Armenia’s entry process into the European Union. A total of 63 pro-government MPs voted for it, with six members of the I Have Honor faction, founded by former President Serzh Sargsyan, voting against. The opposition Armenia Alliance led by another ex-president, Robert Kocharyan, abstained from the vote.
A bit later, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Armenian lawmakers’ decision as the country’s “sovereign right,” as he noted how challenging the process of admitting countries to the European bloc is. Stanislav Pritchin of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO RAS) told Vedomosti that Armenia has no right to join the EU as a full-fledged member. “Unlike its neighbor [Georgia], Armenia does not share a sea border with Europe, and its national legislation has not yet conformed to European norms. Nevertheless, Yerevan can anticipate being granted EU candidate status, but nothing more,” he explained. The EU does seek to start integrating Armenia but only for the sake of this process itself, Nikolay Silayev, a leading researcher with the Center for International Studies at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, observed. Brussels needs to demonstrate a Russian defeat in the Caucasus, and Yerevan facilitates this, the expert argued. “Before granting EU candidate status, the Europeans will likely demand that Armenia join the anti-Russian sanctions, which will inflict a major blow to the country’s export potential and economy,” Silayev believes. However, Yerevan realizes the benefits of its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and will therefore strive to retain all economic advantages and access to markets, Pritchin said. Armenia has been essentially winding down its cooperation with the EAEU, Silayev continued, as the Armenian parliament opted for European integration even after Moscow warned that it cannot be a member of two organizations simultaneously. “How soon will Armenia withdraw from the EAEU and the legal formalization of a loss of benefits and other aspects associated with this step will now be on the agenda,” he concluded. Izvestia: Trump administration distances itself from supporting Ukraine On February 12, Brussels hosted the 26th meeting of the Ramstein Group, its first in the Trump era. The Pentagon’s new chief, Pete Hegseth, attended the event on his first international trip as US Secretary of Defense. According to him, the United States doubts Kiev will join NATO as he called Ukraine’s potential membership in the alliance an “unattainable goal.”