In his meeting with Vladimir Putin on June 16, Joe Biden acknowledged that the U.S. should no longer talk to the Russians from a position of force. For the first time in a long time, the U.S. engaged with another country without threats. The outcome remains to be seen.

China and the United States should seek to warm their relationship, even amid competition, and their leaders should meet. The international community would welcome such a meeting by the world’s largest and second-largest economies, as it would contribute to global stability.

The Biden administration faces many constraints and limitations. And the two sides do not appear to have enough political will to reach a grand strategic bargain. Thus, the summit is unlikely to smooth the bumpy road of bilateral relations.

U.S. core national interests are defined by the new administration as safeguarding American strength, promoting power sharing to U.S. advantage and upholding a stable and open international system.

Both countries know that confrontation only leads to a dead end in the long run. A mix of cooperation and competition remains the norm that has worked for both countries in the past. But it’s difficult to strike a balance, and competition is likely to overwhelm cooperation, as it always has.

American airstrikes took place in Syria, but there’s no question they were intended to send a message to Iran and Russia. It’s clear the U.S. intends to reassert its influence in the Middle East.

The American president may have some method in his madness, as seen in the way he approaches matters regarding Moscow. While acts impulsively and in diametric opposition to his predecessor, his motives can be deciphered.

Under Trump the US has moved towards warmer relations with Russia to counterbalance China’s rise. But existing legislative constraints—along with ongoing points of US-Russian enmity over Ukraine, election interference, and nuclear issues — make short-term détente unlikely.

Trump wants good relations with Russia, but Congress has other plans.

Much was made of the Helsinki Summit between President Trump and Russian President Putin, but how did this meeting between the two leaders shift the balance sheet of great power politics on the world stage?