‘Putin Will Play Trump Like a Stradivarius’

ALASKA SUMMIT: CN Editor Joe Lauria joined Jackson Hinkle’s Legitimate Targets to discuss the Putin-Trump meeting and the Middle East.

What was once Seward’s Folly may become Trump’s as the U.S. and Russian presidents meet this Friday in Alaska.  CN‘s Editor Joe Lauria was Jackson Hinkle’s guest on his program Legitimate Targets to discuss the upcoming summit as well as the continuing crisis in the Middle East. 

It is to Russia’s advantage to keep Trump on side, to try to restore U.S.-Russian relations and to get Trump to understand Russia’s point of view, something severely lacking in the West. Trump said he’s just going to listen to Putin. But earlier he said he’d discuss land swaps with the Russian leader. Then he told European leaders on Wednesday he won’t offer any Ukrainian territory to Putin and if Russia doesn’t agree to a ceasefire there would be “severe consequences” — probably more sanctions. 

But who can believe him? No serious leader takes Trump seriously, Lauria tells Hinkle, but Trump has to be dealt with because of the serious office he holds.  Putin needs to humor and flatter Trump, to avoid sanctions and to keep Trump from giving in to the neocons and lending greater support for Ukraine, as well as to keep the Europeans in check.  Putin will not give in on territory or a ceasefire and may get a non-Ukraine agreement with the U.S. to improve bilateral relations. 

Don’t look for Putin to give away anything that won’t advance Russia’s goals of demilitarization, denazification and neutrality for Ukraine. 

“Putin will play Trump like a Stradivarius,” Lauria tells Hinkle. 

On the Middle East, the genocide in Gaza will continue despite Western governments losing patience with Israel, though Germany cutting off military aid is a very hopeful sign. And don’t look for Israel to re-engage war with Iran after it took a heavy toll the first time around and with Israel’s focus now on capturing Gaza City.