For Putin, Helsinki talks with Trump a win before he even sits down

For US President Donald Trump, a summit with Vladimir Putin risks a political backlash at home and abroad. For the Russian president, however, the fact the summit is even happening is already a big geopolitical win.

Despite Russia's semi-pariah status among some Americans and US allies, the Kremlin has long been trying to arrange a summit, betting that Putin and Trump will get on well and stop a sharp downwards spiral in bilateral ties.

While nobody on either side expects big breakthroughs, including on US sanctions, the summit is seen by Moscow as US recognition of Russia's status as a great power and an overdue US realization that its interests must be taken into account.

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It communicates that the "President of the United States is is treating us with the respect that we deserve," said David Szakonyi, a professor of political science at George Washington University.

"Even if no other type of agreements come out of it...just that handshake and that smile and that respect gives him (Putin) huge dividends, huge benefits for the many audiences that he plays to," Szakonyi said.

Western grievances over Russia's annexation of Crimea, its backing of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine and its support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad haven't gone away. Other accusations, denied by Moscow, include that it meddled in U.S. and European politics, supplied the weapon that shot down a passenger plane in 2014 over Ukraine and tried to kill a former Russian spy in Britain with a nerve agent.

Expectations are high in Russia that Putin, with more than 18 years of global experience, will have the edge on Trump, who had not held elected office before he was inaugurated last year. The two men have met twice before at other events and spoken by phone at least eight times.

Szakonyi said he was in a state of 'shock' after reading the tweet.

"To enter into equal or kind of, on par relations with a country that may have orchestrated a pretty sophisticated campaign to undermine our electoral democracy ...there's not a good explanation for it."

Fellow Republicans worried the move, which came on the heels of Trump's decision to fire FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) director James Comey and to hold a closed meeting with Russian officials in the Oval Office, gave weight to accusations the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to attack websites and emails connected to the Democratic National Committee.

Trump has denied collusion with Moscow, repeatedly calling the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller a 'witch hunt.'

The president has done little to assuage those concerns in recent weeks, angering historically close allies with his call for Russia to be allowed back in to the G8 and infuriating some within his own team by insisting on congratulating Putin on his election victory.

Plans for Trump and Putin to meet privately with only their translators ahead of their meeting, a traditional practice intended to build rapport between world leaders, have stoked those fears.

"With so many suspicions flying flying around that there is collusion or cooperation between the US and Russia or that Trump has a long standing arrangement with the Russian government, however unfounded and without evidence they may be, the optics of going into a room alone without your handlers, without your advisers, are simply alarming," Szakonyi said.

Though his administration is facing turmoil at home due to high staff turnover and outrage over his immigration policy, Trump's decision to grant Putin a summit confers international legitimacy and status on Putin, something Kremlin critics say he doesn't deserve given the lack of meaningful change in Russia's policies internationally.

Russian politicians still measure their own country's soft and hard power globally against that of the United States, even though China, India and the European Union may be even more important in economic terms, according to Szakonyi.

While Russia is struggling with US sanctions, Putin allies see recent visits by western officials including a delegation of Republican lawmakers as proof the tide is turning.

The typically stoic Putin could be seen beaming after US National Security Advisor John Bolton praised Russia's handling of the World Cup.

"Putin is not immune to flattery in the same way that Trump is immune to flattery... both sides like to be told that they're doing something well," Szakonyi said.

Throughout his campaign, Trump repeatedly said Putin had called him "brilliant" and a "genius."

The two leaders will meet in Helsinki today.