There was no deal, no announcement of ceasefire, no mention of any follow-up talks between the US and Russia. Yet President Trump gave the meeting a rating of 10 on 10 and expressed optimism about what would follow.
Why? Because the meeting helped reaffirm the long-standing personal relationshp between Trump and Putin.
Trump stood at the mid-point of a red carpet and clapped his hands at Putin walked towards him after alighting from his plane. Trump received Putin with a warm handshake and then escorted him past a guard of honour to a podium. It was roses all the way
The equation between the two Presidents has long been a source of annoyance to neocons in the US and Europe. And, seeing the way the two got along, the neocons and Trump's critics in general are furious.
The Guardian's correspondent caught the mood very well in a priceless piece of reporting, never mind that the report oozes bile:
That was the moment he knew it was true love.
Donald Trump turned to gaze at Vladimir Putin as the Russian president publicly endorsed his view that, had Trump been president instead of Joe Biden, the war in Ukraine would never have happened.
“Today President Trump was saying that if he was president back then, there would be no war, and I’m quite sure that it would indeed be so,” Putin said. “I can confirm that.”
Vladimir, you complete me, Trump might have replied. To hell with all those Democrats, democrats, wokesters, fake news reporters and factcheckers. Here is a man who speaks my authoritarian alternative facts language.
......Trump, 79, purportedly the most powerful man in the world, literally rolled out the red carpet for a Russian dictator indicted for alleged war crimes over the abduction and transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children. Putin’s troops have also been accused of indiscriminate murder, rape and torture on an appalling scale.
In more than 100 countries, the 72-year-old would have been arrested the moment he set foot on the tarmac. In America, he was treated to a spontaneous burst of applause from the waiting Trump, who gave him a long, lingering handshake and a ride in “the Beast”, the presidential limousine.
Putin could be seen cackling on the back seat, looking like the cat who got the cream. As a former KGB man, did he leave behind a bug or two?
The reaction in the US has been hostile. FT reports:
Donald Trump returned to a political backlash in Washington over his handling of Vladimir Putin after failing to follow through on his threat of “severe consequences” if the Russian president refused to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine...
Europe continues to be in denial. The European Council has released a statement that says:
Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We welcome President Trump’s statement that the US is prepared to give security guarantees. The coalition of the willing is ready to play an active role. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine’s pathway to EU and Nato.
The latest news is that Zelenskyy will meet Trump on Monday at the White House. If all goes well, Trump, Zelenskyy and Putin will meet.
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