When Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet each other on Thursday in Hamburg, the whole world may as well heave a sigh of relief -- the icy relationship between Washington and Moscow could at last exhibit nascent signs of thawing.[Special coverage]
A first personal meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents is encouraging, as it sends a positive signal in bilateral relations. As permanent members of the UN Security Council, Washington and Moscow are hefty players on the global arena. A healthy and stable relationship between them is conducive to maintaining world peace and stability, as well as facing common challenges.
The maiden encounter between them is also heartening as it offers a golden opportunity to Trump and Putin to strike up some kind of personal chemistry, which is crucial to fostering mutual trust and understanding.
It is hard to imagine, and abnormal as well, that besides at least three phone conversations, the two heavy weight leaders have had no direct encounter for almost half a year. This bodes ill amid a cluster of crises ranging from Syria, Ukraine to the Korean peninsula, all of which urgently calls for major powers to cooperate and coordinate.
The long-anticipated summit also signifies a minor victory for dogged diplomacy from both sides in the face of bumpy, marathon bilateral negotiations. The painstakingly-organized meeting comes as the Trump administration is under heavy scrutiny by U.S. media over any negative links to the Kremlin.
In June, a Russian senior diplomat abruptly cancelled a crucial meeting with his U.S. counterpart in response to new U.S. sanctions over Russia's alleged incursion in Ukraine. But the two sides managed to get the negotiation process back on track.
Now, as the crucial moment approaches, some may fancy a calming down in the rocky relations between the two big powers.
Optimism, however natural, should be kept reasonable.
Given the sequence of events prior to the summit, experts from both sides have lowered their expectations about the possibility of any concrete outcome from the meeting. Most predict the best result would be a slight thaw in relations and the two leaders developing possible chemistry.
For one thing, Trump's position is delicate. If he is too friendly to Putin, he would be criticized by hardliners back in the United States as being "too soft". If he behaves too solemnly or is indifferent in the meeting, he might squander the hard-won opportunity. He is indeed walking on a diplomatic tightrope.
No matter how keen the two leaders are to meet each other, the geo-political confrontation that has underpinned bilateral ties for decades cannot be wished away. Current icy bilateral relations are too severe to thaw in a day or two, just like Rome wasn't built in a day.
But recent progress has demonstrated the will, wisdom and courage of both sides in improving ties. As Putin and Trump meet, it is highly advisable that they build on the momentum and stride further forward.
