Trump-Putin Meeting At G20: 'Diplomacy' Not A 'Popularity Contest,' Says Former US Ambassador To Russia

With President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin set to come face to face for the first time Friday at the G20 Summit, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said the commander-in-chief needed to be aware of the meaning of diplomacy.

“Your goal is not a friendly chat - diplomacy is not a popularity contest - but a clear statement of US national security and economic objectives and an exploration of what issues the United States and Russia could pursue together," McFaul wrote on the Chicago Tribune.

Even though the White House said Trump will be going into the meeting with no fixed agenda, former, McFaul lined up a few important topics the president might want to talk about during his meeting with Putin, starting with Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.

“You must state bluntly to Putin that Russia can never again violate our sovereignty by stealing and publishing our data, and must stop cyber probes of our electoral machinery. You should hint at potential coercive responses, including sanctions and counter cyber actions, if we are attacked again,” McFaul added.

California Rep. Adam Schiff echoed McFaul’s sentiments to the Los Angeles Times via a telephone interview. "If he doesn't have the courage to raise the issue, Putin will conclude he can walk over our affairs and the president won't object,” Schiff said. “That would be a big mistake.”

Read: Putin Accuses US Of Meddling Abroad, Hopes For Better Russia Ties

Some of the other issues the president needs to address during his much-anticipated meeting are conditions Russia needs to meet for the U.S. to withdraw sanctions on Ukraine, trade expansion with the Kremlin, North Korea’s nuclear program and the adoption ban placed by Russia on the U.S.

McFaul also said any discussions about NATO should be off the table for now since it could be a sensitive topic.

According to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the Syrian conflict could also be a major issue of discussion between the two leaders. Apart from exploring ideas like implementing no-fly zones and a ceasefire, Trump should also try and encourage Putin to use his influence over the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad to remind him the fight is against the Islamic State group (ISIS) and not his own citizens.

McFaul also said Trump should not expect any positive results to come his way immediately after the meeting but he should keep pushing his “America First” mission to put the best interests of Americans first. However, to do that, the president would have to be just as prepared to put his arguments forward, as his Russian counterpart.

Read: Trump, Putin Meeting Next Week Can Be A Minefield For President

However, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer did not have high hopes from the meeting. “I worry a little about this meeting because Putin is going to walk into the room very well prepared, and I’m not certain Trump will come into that room prepared,” Pifer said.

Even though U.S. intelligence officials have drawn up a detailed psychological profile of Putin, passing on the information gathered to Trump may pose a problem due to the president’s lack of interest in reading intelligence briefings. According to the L.A. Times, the president is in the habit of waiting for in-person briefings instead. Putin, on the other hand, is known to meticulously prepare for all his high-stakes meetings with foreign dignitaries.

“Putin was and is a KGB officer, and KGB officers are specialists at one thing: seduction, how to persuade others to do what you want,” said John Herbst, another former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. “The odds are the atmosphere will be good because our president seems to love Putin, even though it is bad policy.”

Meanwhile, ahead of the meeting with Putin, the Trump Organization renewed two web domains — TrumpTowerMoscow.com and TrumpRussia.com — on Wednesday, which has links to possible business dealings in Russia. The company is also looking to renewing 1,000 web domains registered under the group’s general counsel. However, the company claimed the renewed licenses of the websites will not be used to strike any foreign deals while Trump is in office, the Hill reported.