If you randomly picked individuals off the street and briefed them about the background and outcome of the curious Putin-Trump summit in Alaska, they would most likely confirm that it was a fraudulent performance by two grandstanding leaders. No matter how ill-informed they might be, they would understand that Putin and Trump are two con-men with their own personal agendas regardless of the stakes and oblivious to the countless lives being lost as they showboat.
The headlines this morning, “Trump Backs Off Cease-Fire Demand in Ukraine War Aligning with Putin, “No Deal, but No Consequence for Putin” and “Summit Yields No Breakthrough,” sum up the observation, “What Was the Trump-Putin Meeting Even About?” It was a charade, pure and simple, embarrassing and insulting for all of us interested in resolving this horrible unnecessary war, a war started by Russia and now being abetted by Trump’s intransigence.
It is sad, if not pathetic, to see our European allies tippy-toe so as not to offend Trump by calling out the reality of the negotiations. It is clear that Putin is playing Trump and Trump is playing everyone else to his own advantage. It is also clear that Trump will increasingly abdicate his responsibility and shift blame for failure to Zelensky and others.
Yesterday was deja vu all over again, reminiscent of Trump’s meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un November 2019.