Russia Announces July 1 Hockey Match, Hosts 1st U.S. Official Since 2018
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
Russia Announces July 1 Hockey Match, Hosts 1st U.S. Official Since 2018
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
Summary
Russia used its St. Petersburg economic forum to unveil a July 1 hockey game in Moscow between unspecified Russian and American players and to host Rodney Mims Cook Jr., the first U.S. official to attend since 2018.
The outreach comes more than 16 months into Trump’s second term, after Russian elites had hoped for a broad reset with Washington that has not materialized and while U.S. sanctions remain in place.
Moscow has used the forum since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine to project resilience under Western pressure, stressing self-reliance and deeper ties with the Middle East and Asia.
That mix of anti-Western rhetoric and selective U.S. engagement highlights a split inside Russia between hawkish security figures and technocratic elites seeking a thaw and renewed business ties.