Diplomats Corner: Sports Negotiated in Discussions for Trump-Putin Ukraine Peace Agreement
In the upcoming meeting between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at an Anchorage army base, discussions about Ukraine are expected to dominate the agenda [1]. However, it is important to note that, as of now, there is no evidence to suggest that sport has been used as a diplomacy tool in the Ukraine peace talks.
Recent political, military, and diplomatic negotiations have focused entirely on ceasefire and territorial issues, security guarantees, and political concessions [1][2][3]. President Trump's suggestion of resuming international ice hockey matches between the United States and Russia earlier this year has yet to come to fruition [4].
The ongoing Ukrainian conflict, however, is likely to influence the deployment of sport as a policy instrument by all sides involved [8]. If talks between the two leaders result in a detente, there may be a corresponding easing of tensions in sporting matters [6]. Lord Seb Coe, head of World Athletics, has stated that Russian participation in sport at the highest level will only be allowed after the war in Eastern Europe has concluded [7].
The resumption of international ice hockey matches between the United States and Russia is yet to occur, as suggested by President Trump earlier this year [4]. However, Russia's invitation to international media to their National Championships in Kazan could be a sign of Russia's desire to be re-integrated into the global sporting community [10][11]. This move, according to Professor Simon Chadwick, could be seen as a soft diplomacy tool [12].
If the peace talks don't go well, Russia could quickly move to withdraw invitations to international media [13]. It is crucial to remember that while sport may play a role in global relations, its impact on the Ukraine peace talks remains secondary to the political and military negotiations at hand.
For more information on sports used as diplomacy in other contexts, please feel free to ask.
References:
- CNN
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- ESPN
- The Washington Post
- The New York Times
- Reuters
- The Hill
- The Associated Press
- The Telegraph
- Soviet Sport
- The Conversation
- The Moscow Times
Sports can occasionally serve as a tool for diplomacy, as indicated by President Trump's proposal of resuming international ice hockey matches between the United States and Russia earlier this year [4]. In contrast, political and military negotiations dominating the Ukraine peace talks have primarily focused on ceasefire and territorial issues, security guarantees, and political concessions [1][2][3].
