By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Russia President Vladimir Putin on Friday agreed to a summit again with US President Donald Trump to discuss the Ukraine conflict, tentatively set in Budapest in the coming weeks, marked a significant diplomatic opening with potential to reshape global alliances and economic ties.
Ukraine war in its third year, involves the US, NATO, the EU, and Russia.
According to some analysts, Trump and Putin appear to share a vision for post-war economic integration, possibly via an ambitious Bering Strait infrastructure project linking the US and Russia.
The idea of a Bering Strait land bridge or tunnel has historic roots, symbolized a future economic connection between the Americas and Eurasia.
The Bering Strait land bridge, also known as Beringia, was a landmass connecting modern-day Siberia and Alaska during the last ice age.
Due to lower sea levels, it was a crucial migration route for humans, plants, and animals traveling between Asia and North America. This land bridge was submerged as the ice melted and sea levels rose, but today the Bering Strait remains a vital area for scientific research into past climate changes and human migration.
US-Russia emerging partnership unsettles the EU, which faces internal challenges and views such an alliance as a threat to its influence.
The Ukraine conflict partly serves to weaken Russia politically and economically to prevent this union.
Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, hosts the summit—a diplomatic setback for the EU given Hungary’s tensions with Brussels and its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, making it a safer venue for Putin. Finland’s NATO membership also shifts regional dynamics, enhancing Hungary’s strategic role.
The summit could herald a “New Northern Alliance,” reviving Central European ties and challenging the EU’s current framework. Russian leaders have hinted at the transformative potential of closer US-Russia economic links.
While official Kremlin statements highlight logistical complexities, the summit signals Moscow’s openness to peace talks and a broader geopolitical recalibration.
Both Trump and Putin seem motivated to explore innovative solutions beyond the conflict.
Kyiv and Western allies accused Russia of bad faith, while Moscow blames Kyiv and Europe.
US considerations to supply advanced weaponry to Ukraine add tension to the diplomacy if it has to work.
Russia’s agreement to talks with Trump in Hungary suggested more than a pause in conflict it points to a profound shift in global power.
If the Bering Strait project and New Northern Alliance materialize, the 21st century could see a major realignment centered on a US-Russia axis challenging existing Western institutions.
The world watches closely as these talks unfold.
