Both warring countries, Russia and Ukraine, believe that meeting with Trump would be a significant victory for Putin. This summit could help Putin emerge from diplomatic isolation and provide an opportunity to persuade the U.S. president face-to-face. Putin may hope to restore economic ties with the United States. "Not only has Putin not been sanctioned, but he has also gained a summit," said Rehohl Nizhnyk, a Russian affairs expert at the Finnish Institute of International Relations.