During their November meeting in Trump Tower in New York, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US president-elect Donald Trump found they had more in common than a penchant for golf. The details of their discussion remain confidential but it is known that Russia was one of the main topics on the agenda. Mr Trump and Mr Abe share a belief that they can strike important deals with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
In a phone call with Mr Putin, Mr Trump suggested he was ready to repair relations with Moscow. Meanwhile, Mr Abe and the Russian leader have already established a rapport, meeting 15 times. They are due to see each other again in Mr Abe’s home town
on December 15. The willingness of the leaders of the world’s first and third-largest economies to embrace a hitherto isolated Moscow could signal a dramatic geopolitical realignment and redefine Russia’s role on the global stage.