Parliamentary poll: parliamentarians of the Russian Federation and the USA are trying to establish a regular dialogue

A Russian parliamentary delegation has arrived in the United States. The last time contacts were held at this level was back in 2018. The group was headed by Vyacheslav Nikonov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee, and is represented by several parties at once. This meeting should help establish a dialogue on a regular basis, the deputies of the State Duma told Izvestia. Russian and American experts are confident that the key topic will be the easing of sanctions, which immediately changes the status quo in relations between the two countries and gives a positive signal. The Ukrainian crisis may also be on the agenda, the settlement of which has been put on pause due to the escalation in the Middle East. Whether the meeting will give an impetus to the normalization of relations between Russia and the United States is in the Izvestia article.

Russian MPs come to the USA

On the evening of March 25, the flight crew "Russia" landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Izvestia found out that a Russian parliamentary delegation had arrived in the United States. They have been trying to organize a meeting with American congressmen since the end of last year, and in January preparations for it entered an active phase.

At the same time, with the beginning of the US and Israeli military operation in Iran, it seemed that the contacts of the deputies would be put on pause. However, apparently, the large-scale conflict in the Middle East has not affected the plans of the legislators of the Russian Federation and the United States. Although until recently it was unclear who exactly would represent Russian interests — visa issues were being resolved for a long time, and it was unclear whether the sanctions would be lifted from the deputies for a visit to the States.

Alexey Chepa, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told Izvestia that Vyacheslav Nikonov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, headed the delegation from the Russian Federation.

— This issue has been resolved for a long time. The visit is taking place as part of an attempt to resolve relations with the United States. Nikonov is the main leader of this parliamentary delegation," he said.

The candidacy does not look unexpected. Back in the 1990s, Vyacheslav Nikonov headed the Subcommittee on International Security and Control, and was also chairman of the Public Chamber's Commission on International Cooperation.

— There is a certain amount of symbolism in the fact that Nikonov is leading the delegation. The trip to the United States by Vyacheslav Molotov's grandson, one of the main architects of Soviet foreign policy, carries historical significance, which in the American political context is perceived as a signal of the seriousness of the Russian side's intentions, says Alice Kazelko, a member of the Russian Export Control Association and Valdai expert.

The delegation, as previously reported by Izvestia, promised to be multiparty. In particular, Vladimir Isakov represented the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.

— It was planned that there would be at least two more games. I can't say for sure, but [LDPR] is definitely there. The State Duma Committee on International Affairs did not form this delegation, it was formed in a different way," said Dmitry Novikov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs.

A group of congressmen is expected from the American side, including a member of the House of Representatives, Anna Paulina Luna, who was the main initiator of this meeting. Back in January, the Republican congresswoman announced that she had invited four State Duma deputies to Washington for consultations, including on the Ukrainian settlement, trade prospects and strengthening ties between Russia and the United States.

However, this meeting still cannot be called official negotiations between the two parliaments. Rather, this is a Russian response to the initiative of a group of American congressmen who aim to improve relations between Moscow and Washington.

— After all, this is a visit of a different level, and the inviting party, having regard to the relevant parliamentary status in the United States, primarily represents those political forces that are interested in normalizing bilateral relations. Therefore, I would rather call it such a political probe aimed at finding ways to resolve our complex relations today so that they can be further proposed for discussion at the inter—parliamentary and interstate levels," Dmitry Novikov explained to Izvestia.

Izvestia also contacted the US Embassy in Russia for comments on the meeting.

The last time a meeting at this level was held was almost eight years ago. On July 3, 2018, a U.S. congressional delegation headed by Richard Shelby, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, arrived in Russia. The group also included several U.S. senators and one member of the House of Representatives.

In Moscow, they held talks first with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, then with State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. Moreover, in terms of content, it was not a protocol meeting, but a very substantive one. Anatoly Aksakov, who participated in the talks in the State Duma, reported that the topics of Syria, Ukraine and accusations of alleged Russian interference in the American elections were raised. It is difficult to imagine such a thing now, but then the parties even discussed the possibility of speeches by Russian deputies in both chambers of Congress.

What can the parliamentarians of the two powers discuss?

This time, the parties have all the more to discuss. First of all, it is necessary to establish constant communication, the deputies are sure.

— I think that some kind of agreements will probably be established that will allow holding meetings and consultations on a regular basis, - said Alexey Chepa.

Dmitry Novikov also expects that the meeting will help to establish communication channels, "which will help the development of public diplomacy, parliamentary, and then state." The parliamentary format is very convenient in this context: it allows you to probe the ground and broadcast signals without the harsh diplomatic responsibility inherent in negotiations at the highest level, Kazelko emphasizes. "Deputies are highly likely to discuss mechanisms for easing sanctions," the expert said.

It seems that restrictions will indeed be the number one topic. The meeting sends a signal about the possibility of easing sanctions and generally the desire to restore more positive US-Russian relations, expert Jeremy Kuzmarov believes.

"It is premature to assess whether this will be a step towards normalizing relations between the United States and Russia, but it is certainly a measure that changes the status quo and which was not expected at the moment," said Khan, a professor at Wayne University in Detroit, told Izvestia.

According to him, Washington's position on the Ukrainian conflict will be on the agenda of the American and Russian parliamentarians, as the Trump administration has recently paid less attention to this issue, focusing on the war with Iran.

Conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, and global oil policy will almost certainly top the list of topics discussed, says Richard Bensel, a professor at Cornell University in New York.

Obviously, the meeting in the United States is an element of a larger track for the normalization of bilateral relations, which the countries are conducting in parallel with the Ukrainian settlement. Kirill Dmitriev, the special representative of the President of the Russian Federation, is engaged in the restoration of the trade and economic part. Just recently, on March 11, the Russian delegation met in Florida with the American delegation represented by Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law of US President Jared Kushner and Commissioner of the Federal Procurement Service Josh Grunbaum. Since this year, these contacts have acquired a very specific format in the form of special working groups headed by Dmitriev and Witkoff, respectively.

— This visit creates another channel of communication that can play a role in the future when resuming full-fledged economic and political cooperation. Well—established ties will be useful for accelerating joint projects between Russia and the United States," Egor Toropov, an American researcher at the Higher School of Economics, PhD in Political Science, tells Izvestia.

At the same time, it should be understood that within the United States, the conversation about a reset of relations is constantly linked to the Ukrainian settlement. Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that the conflict must be resolved first, and only then will we talk about restoring relations with the Russian Federation. Contacts between Moscow and Washington continue despite the pause in the trilateral talks on Ukraine, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March 25. According to him, Russia receives information about the progress of cooperation and positively assesses the efforts of the American side.

In any case, for now, the visit of the Russian delegation to the United States should be considered in the context of parliamentary diplomacy. However, Oleg Lyakhovenko, a senior researcher at the Faculty of Political Science at Lomonosov Moscow State University, told Izvestia that close contacts between deputies and congressmen often precede interstate negotiations involving senior officials.