A Half-Baked Alaska Summit

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Bret Stephens: Much as Trump may envy Putin's gangsterism, he won't want to emerge from the meeting as Putin's poodle.

Posted by Corky at 06:30 PM | 22 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

In @nytopinion.nytimes.com Vladimir Putin's history of reported theft and corruption "is not grand strategy at work. It's grand larceny," our columnist Bret Stephens writes. "It's the essence of what Putin is about -- and surely helps explain Trump's long-held admiration for him."

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-- The New York Times (@nytimes.com) Aug 12, 2025 at 11:20 PM

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It's a fun article... Bob Kraft's SB ring stolen by Vlad story and all.

But if Trump ends up doing something useful, well, that would be the shocker.

The WH is already rolling back expectations:

"Leavitt press conference lowers expectations for Alaska summit - again"

Yesterday, Donald Trump described Friday's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "feel-out meeting". This afternoon, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it will be a "listening session"."

www.bbc.com

#1 | Posted by Corky at 2025-08-12 06:08 PM | Reply

" described Friday's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "feel-out meeting"."

C'mon now. Putin got to third base the first time they met.

#2 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-08-12 06:13 PM | Reply | Funny: 3

sorry about the thread link firewall... it wasn't there when I copied it, and I don't see it off their site yet

#3 | Posted by Corky at 2025-08-12 06:13 PM | Reply

Pres Trump already gave Pres Putin what he wanted, and that was before negotiations even began.

Pres Trump has said that Ukraine should not be allowed to join NATO.

That was a very major concession that Pres Trump made to Pres Putin.

What concessions has Pres Putin made so far to Ukraine, or even to Pres Trump?

#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-08-12 06:26 PM | Reply

Zelensky rules out ceding Donbas region as Russians make fresh advance
www.bbc.com

... President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine would reject any Russian proposal to give up the Donbas region in exchange for a ceasefire, warning it could be used as a springboard for future attacks. ...

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-08-12 06:28 PM | Reply

@#5 ... a springboard for future attacks ...

... and not allowing Ukraine to become a valued NATO member would only increase the likelihood of those attacks.

#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-08-12 06:29 PM | Reply

Has Trump surrendered to Putin yet?

Just checking in.

#7 | Posted by Zed at 2025-08-12 06:42 PM | Reply

his press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it will be a "listening session"."

Trump knows better than to talk back to daddy.

#8 | Posted by jpw at 2025-08-12 07:59 PM | Reply

What concessions has Pres Putin made so far to Ukraine, or even to Pres Trump?

He pinky swore he'd never invade Ukraine again!

#9 | Posted by jpw at 2025-08-12 08:00 PM | Reply

Yet another account of Trump's long time Russian Connections:

www.theguardian.com

#10 | Posted by Corky at 2025-08-12 08:04 PM | Reply

Maybe Pedo Donnie can send the National Guard to Ukraine.

#11 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-08-12 09:40 PM | Reply

@#7 ... Has Trump surrendered to Putin yet? ...

imo, yes.

Helsinki 2018.

#12 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-08-12 09:51 PM | Reply

Putin's smelly orange butt ---- is already predicting failure.

www.washingtonpost.com

#13 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2025-08-13 01:32 PM | Reply

Alaskan King Crab will now be known as King Trumpy Crab.

Change your menus and dictionaries and encyclopedia accordingly.

#14 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-08-13 05:46 PM | Reply

Zelensky has already told them both to frag off. He is not surrendering any territory.

#15 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-08-13 05:47 PM | Reply

There are millions of Americans that actually believe that Dummkopf Trumpf is "angry" with his KGB handler for not ending the onslaught on Ukraine. The Dotard-in-Chief did what Vladimir Putin wanted: Buy more time to defeat Ukraine. Trumpf also bought time for the blackmailing repugnant pit fiend, Benjamin Netanyahu, to absorb Gaza and the West Bank.

Stall and delay, delay and stall, while pounding the table indignantly in-between: All effective courtroom tactics and kabuki theater for the great unwashed masses.

#16 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-08-13 06:29 PM | Reply

Has Norway been invited to observe the master deal maker in action?

There will be Peace Prize in our time!

#17 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-08-13 06:43 PM | Reply

Friday's Alaska Summit Agenda;
(Warning. Any resemblance to the actual agenda is coincidental.)

AM:
1. Putin - why I love Trump, my BFF
2. Trump - why I love Putin, my BFF
3. Putin - what's in it for my BFF Trump if I annex Ukraine
4. Trump - what's in it for Vlad, my BFF, if he helps me annex Greenland and Canada and to get the Nobel Peace Prize

PM:
5. Lunch Break for Caviar &Big Macs:& Vodka
6. Blood brotherhood ritual
7. Then: Deals are signed, sealed and delivered.

Next summit: Renaming the Arctic Ocean, "Vlad & Don's Ocean"

#18 | Posted by Augustine at 2025-08-13 10:18 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

malcolmnance.substack.com

"Trump's representative, real estate broker Steve Whitcoff, who does not speak Russian, has met with Putin five times without an American interpreter present. In each instance, Moscow's claims would cause Ukraine to surrender land to Russia, as Trump is insinuating. As only Moscow's translation is available, nothing can be truly verified. Whitcoff appears to be a fawning agent of Moscow and routinely parrots their talking points. Nor does he seem to be negotiating on behalf of Ukraine or America's best interests."

#19 | Posted by Augustine at 2025-08-13 10:32 PM | Reply

"As only Moscow's translation is available, nothing can be truly verified."

Houston, I think I've discovered the problem.

#20 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-08-13 11:02 PM | Reply

Houston, I think I've discovered the problem.

Fridays "listening session" will be no different. Closed doors with just Lewzer, Putin, and Putin's translator. Maybe a cardboard cutout of Rubio propped up in the corner.

#21 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-08-13 11:05 PM | Reply

It's gonna be a dream date! They can stare into each others eyes so take a measure of each others corrupt shriveled souls.

Hopefully there will be chocolate cake and Missiles, too.

And only one scoop of ice cream for Pooty but two for Trumpy!

#22 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-08-14 10:34 AM | Reply