What’s up for grabs at the summit — and can Trump outsmart Putin?

12 comments

1. ***From The Sunday Times:***

   Is peace in Ukraine finally within reach? After so much blood, grudge and disappointment, it seems hard to hold much optimism, but as with anything involving President Trump, prediction is difficult.

   What is clear is that even if a deal can be agreed it would really only be the starting point, not the end, of a long-term effort to persuade him to buy into a lasting peace process.

   The first meeting between Russian and US presidents since 2021 will take place on Friday in Alaska. Putin might have preferred to see Trump on Russian soil, but the choice of Alaska is a minor concession to his American counterpart.

   What do the two men have to discuss, though?

   The implication is that there is a proposed peace plan. What might this be? According to the Polish media outlet Onet, it includes a ceasefire, de facto recognition of Russia’s territorial gains, and the lifting of most US sanctions on Russia, perhaps linked to some kind of privileged access to Russian oil and gas for American companies. This aligns with the main direction of travel among the Washington peacemaking community.

   If these latest suggestions are true, then the terms are a gift to Putin. Even if they are not accurate there is no doubt that any deal would be trumpeted by Putin’s tame media as a triumph, a victory over not just Kyiv but the serried ranks of a hostile Nato, for whom Ukraine was just a proxy weapon. It would also be greeted with genuine relief by the Kremlin technocrats running the system, who have been increasingly vocal in their efforts to warn Putin of tough economic pressures ahead.

2. Can Trump outsmart Putin? I haven’t laughed like that in quite a while. Thanks.

3. Trump and his team are vastly outmatched by Putin. Here’s what will happen. Putin will make a ridiculous demand, as he’s done the entire conflict. There will be no compromise, no offer from Russia. Zero. Nothing. Trump will agree becsuse he has no choice. Then, when Ukraine and EU are like “no…. Ukraine can have a military” trunp and Putin will say “see?? Ukraine doesn’t want peace!!”. Trump washes his hands and will basically say “I did my best but Zelensky doesn’t want to play ball” and Putin will continue the genocide, because the Russian economy is dependent upon it.

4. Why are you assuming that Trump and Putin are opponents, Times?

5. Trump can’t outsmart a 3 year old. Get ready for there to be talks of Russia taking Alaska as a nice parting gift.

6. Trump can’t outsmart his way out of a wet paper bag, Putin might be an absolute bastard, but I’m pretty sure he’ll offer more resistance then a wet paper bag.

7. The title is clearly trolling. Does anyone think Trump can outthink or outsmart anyone he negotiates with? Maybe Biden in 2025? He bullies people working for him that’s the only leadership style I’ve seen from him. Have power and make sure people respect and fear your power. What else does Trump do? He was never a legit CEO of any company and didn’t have many employees. He has a few followers and staff doing things for him like butlers or waiters. But that’s not leadership. He just tells them to do something and they do it. He actually doesn’t know how to run a company. Trump looks up to Putin for this reason as Putin kills people who go against him which creates more fearful and compliant followers. Trump is impressed by leaders who actually do force followers to respect them as Trump could never pull it off. He claims he is an exert on 100 different things yet never showed even merely competence in any field.

   There is really no discussion here. Trump has never outsmarted anyone as far as we know. There is no such example or case in any of the thousands of stories. He lies and deceives extremely well, we know this. He bullies people into accepting lower pay by sorta alluding at better opportunities in the future that never arrive as he never promotes competence he promotes based on looks and how much people adore him. And after meeting with country leaders he seems to be persuaded by either the leader or his own staff telling him what to think. There is just zero chance Trump can outsmart even a regular person in a negotiation. He is too full of himself to understand what other people want.

8. Trump and outsmart have not been used in the same sentence.

9. >can Trump outsmart Putin?

   HAHAHAHAHAHA

   Can media make outrageous profit without having an addled authoritarian buffoon do 6 outrageous things.a day to distract from His dismantling of the USA?

10. Trump and his entire bunch of puppeteers would struggle to outsmart a bowl of soup.

    Putin will play Trump like a cheap fiddle.

    Putin has clear goals, a strategy to achieve them, and tactical flexibility. He has all the time he needs to lead Trump up the garden path, down the trail, and into the abattoir of irrelevance.

    “I have in my hand a piece of paper…..”

11. Can Trump outsmart a rat for the cheese. More at 9

12. It sounds to me like the setup is for Russia to maintain *de facto* control of the seized territories while *de jure* control lay with Ukraine for the foreseeable future. Lay the groundwork for formal international law principles to eventually require Russia turn over the land after Putin has died.

    This in exchange for a ceasefire which a coalition of the *un*willing but necessary step up to enforce the ceasefire. The major necessary state would be India, which would agree because Trump will lift the secondary sanctions/tariffs for purchase of Russian oil. Continuing supply of “tariff-free” oil (meaning India purchasing oil without facing Trump’s tariffs, or at least not as high as 50%) would be tied to effective enforcement of the ceasefire agreement, and EU would be the third party mediator for that part of the agreement. Snapback provisions would affect both India and Russia on EU’s call.

    Trump will also likely want a side agreement regarding control of output to China but I doubt we’d hear anything about that. This is the clearest plan I can imagine the administration aiming for if they’re rational actors and evaluating the rest of the relevant powers as such.

    So of course it’s probably going to end with Trump throwing spaghetti at Zelensky and choking him out on Sarah Palins rug while Putin inspects the teeth of US’ super special golden haired horse.

Comments are closed.