The republican US President Donald Trump appears determined to continue with his plans to have his one-on-one tete-a-tete with the Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 16th of July 2018 in Helsinki, Finland, despite the Deputy Attorney General Attorney Rod Rosenstein having announced on the 13th of July, that the US department of Justice had filed indictments against 12 Russian GRU operatives for having interfered with the 2016 US election in order to effect the outcome in favor of Mr. Trump.
See: Mueller probe indictment of 12 Russians for hacking Democrats/ Washington Post
The president has been prevaricating on the fact that Russia did in fact attack the US elections infrastructure. There are some of us who carry a strong suspicion based on the president’s own fawning behaviors towards all things Russian and that he is indeed a Russian asset and thus, we worry about President Trump’s insistence on conducting this one-on-one meeting without a credible witness and/ or note-taker.
Over time he has dropped hints, spoken out loud about his wish to bring home all the US troops in Syria which means Russia would be left alone in the area to prop up the brutal dictator President Bashar al-Assad. President Trump believes he can convince President Putin to force the Iranians to leave Syria at the request of Israel, but I doubt that any such promise will not be honored as Russia and Iran are allies.
In addition, President Trump has dropped comments along the line that he doesn’t see why the US has to back Ukraine against Russia. Besides, the Crimean peoples speak Russian and so what’s the big deal if Russia annexes Crimea. That’s the talking points of Russian officials but the fact is, Russia invaded unprovoked and uninvited into Crimea in 2014, and then proceeded to illegally annex it. This resulted in the 2014 US-NATO sanctions against Russia, whereupon, President Putin proceeded to withdraw from being a nation member of the G8 countries, now referred to as the G7. There is this anxiety over whether President Trump would act on this flawed thinking.
In short, there is trepidation on my part that President Trump may act on impulse to please President Putin at the expense of acting primarily in the US best national security interests, and in lieu of confronting President Putin about his having ordered his GRU agents to attack the US elections infrastructure in 2016.
See: What If Trump Has Been a Russian Asset Since 1987/ NY Magazine
See: Theory: President Trump’s Ties To Russian Leader Vladimir Putin/ Gronda Morin
Here is the rest of the story…
On July 14. 2018, Eli Stokols and Sabra Ayres of the LA Times penned the following report,”Trump heads to Putin summit with no clear goal — and worries that he’ll make concessions”
Excerpts:
“Alexander Vershbow, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO and Russia who served as a deputy secretary general of NATO, said the summit “raises apprehensions” in Europe that Trump’s “going to become more friendly toward a brutal dictator than he is to his own allies.”
“Anything Trump says to undercut the NATO declaration that Russia’s annexation of Crimea was “illegal and illegitimate” would ease international pressure on Putin and be tantamount to “codifying aggression,” Vershbow said.”
“But Stephen Hadley, who served as President George W. Bush’s national security advisor, said Trump’s willingness to engage with Putin shouldn’t be viewed as a blunder in and of itself.”
“Putin is a spoiler all around the world, trying to frustrate the U.S. everywhere,” Hadley said. “At some point, we’ll need to find a way to get a more constructive relationship with Russia. Trump could be able to do that.”
“Other analysts view Trump’s eagerness to meet Putin, with all the theatrics a summit will entail, as a diplomatic coup for Moscow since it remains under U.S. and international sanctions for its seizure of Crimea in 2014.”
“The meeting “is Putin’s victory. He was waiting for this moment since 2014,” said Vladimir Frolov, an independent political analyst in Russia. “The positive atmospherics of the ‘historic and monumental summit’ will do.”
“Putin’s goal is “to clear the air, ratchet down the tensions and reset the relationship back to normal without yielding any ground on Ukraine and Crimea, Russian meddling and the intervention in Syria,” Frolov said.”
“The Russians “aren’t going to expect much in the way of practical points to come out of the meeting,” said Mark Galeotti, a senior fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague and an expert on European security issues. “This will simply give them an opportunity to really encourage Trump to lob a grenade into Western unity, without the Kremlin really having to do much themselves.”
“Trump’s outreach to Putin is all the more mystifying since it is at odds with his own administration’s far more wary stance on Russia. The U.S. ambassadors to Russia and NATO, for example, have expressed more traditionally hawkish views of Russia’s intentions and operations.”
“Even those State Department and Pentagon officials who support his efforts to improve relations with Moscow worry the president is being naive about the danger Putin poses to U.S. interests and allies.”
“As in other policies, Trump has made it clear that he will rely largely on his instincts over advice from experts.”
“He made a calculation long ago that he doesn’t want a more antagonistic relationship with Russia,” said Jim Hanson, a Trump ally who is president of the Security Studies Group, a think tank in Washington.”
“Hanson believes Trump could try to enlist Putin to keep Iran and its affiliated militant groups out of Syria, where they and Russian troops support President Bashar Assad’s government in the civil war.”
“He speculated that the United States and Israel could retain a “hunting license” for Islamic State or other threats, but that Trump might agree to withdraw the 2,000 or so U.S. troops in Syria, something both he and Putin would like.”
“On July 6, the Kremlin denied Russian press reports that the withdrawal of Iran-backed militias would top the agenda at the summit. Bolton, Trump’s national security advisor, said last week that the meeting could produce a “larger negotiation on helping to get Iranian forces out of Syria.”
“Russia appeared to shoot that down, however. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a press call last week that “reports that two countries are discussing a third country and are making some decisions for it — that’s highly unrealistic.”
“The summit could produce “some statement on Syria, where Russia would vaguely commit to work towards withdrawal of foreign forces from Syria,” said Frolov.”
“In such a scenario, the U.S. could assume that by “foreign forces,” Russia means Iran, while Russia would insist that it means the U.S. troops in Syria. Both sides could then “spin it as a major triumph of diplomacy,” although Moscow and Washington would be assuming different things, Frolov continued.”
“That scenario played out in Singapore when North Korea pledged denuclearization but never defined what it meant, leaving Washington in confusion and any disarmament in limbo.”
“That “could later lead to disappointment, but will be enough for Trump to declare a win,” he added.”
See: Trump v. Putin: What to Expect From the Meeting in Helsinki – Rolling Stone..
Gronda Morin 
It is highly inappropriate for Trump to meet with any world leader without witnesses and either a recorder or note-taker. Presidential actions, meetings and conversations need to be documented. Period. And why, instead of being angry at Russia over the well-documented evidence supporting the 12 indictments handed down by Rosenstein, is he mad at Rosenstein and Mueller. Somebody needs to step in and say “NO, this meeting will not take place unless proper procedure is followed.” Trump is not a dictator yet, and rules DO apply to him, though he seems to think otherwise. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr …
Hugs!!!
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Dear Jill,
I can’t understand why our Intelligence agencies are not taking steps to stop this meeting from taking place without a credible witness or note-taker. If anyone else with the behaviors of Donald Trump were planning a meet with a Russian official, the CIA would be all over him like fly paper.
The US national security interests are at stake.
You are right! It is President Trump’s behaviors that betray him. He is guilty as sin.
Hugs,Gronda
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I hate to say this but I think many who are serving in this administration are AFRAID of tRumpsky. He most definitely has a way of “getting back” at those who disagree with him or protest his actions. And what’s even more disturbing is he has bypassed practices that while not a written “law” are meant to maintain stability within government.
There is little doubt we have a wanna-be dictator in our midst.
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I don’t understand it either, Gronda. Can you imagine if President Obama had attempted to meet with Putin, unaccompanied? Why, he would have been shackled to his desk in the Oval Office while Congress wrote up articles of impeachment! Personally, while NO president should be able to have conversations that are not recorded for future reference, I would have trusted Obama 100x more than Trump.
Hugs!!!
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This all reads like a spy novel and everything points to such clear collusion. I recently watched the entire series of The Americans on TV (excellent series), which was based on the Reagan era years and Russian infiltration. Trump is being played by Russia and he in turns plays his ill-informed base by feeding their racism. This keeps his power here. Kavanaugh will be played because of his comments about a sitting president can’t be prosecuted and the pressure will be on him to comply. And if he stays away from Roe v Wade, he will be confirmed. The republicans are being played, so easily, by their lust to stay in power with no thought to what’s best for the people at large and the country. Simple greed. These are high stakes and unless we can stay vigilant through our free press, the end result will become predictable. And the press is very close to being squelched by the constant barrage of “fake news” comments from trump and the very clear danger of control of the press like in Russia. I’m afraid apathy from the public is the fertile breeding ground for much of this
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Dear Mary Plumbago,
If there is one positive result from the US presidency is that it has pushed a lot of folks off of their apathetic attitudes about the running of the US government.
I have to watch the series, “The Americans.” President Trump is a willing Russian asset. Too many of the GOP in the US Congress are more interested in aiding and abetting this Russian asset living in the White House instead of honoring their oaths of office.
Judge Kavanaugh will probably be confirmed eventually but I want this delayed as long as possible because I do not want him to input his 2 cents on issues like, can the president pardon himself?
Frankly, i hope that this upcoming Helsinki meet is recorded by the US IC community because if President Trump is caught in the act of betraying US national security interests, it would short circuit the president’s reality show.
Hugs, Gronda
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I have wondered what they will do with the two interpreters after?…I bet they’ll sweep the room for all sorts of things..a secret meeting…WOW..unheard of!
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I’ve heard of spy vs spy, but spy with spy? This is new and totally unprecedented. There are no rules regarding private meetings with foreign dignitaries b/c in the past there was no need, everything was transparent. I believe Trump is the first US President who request private meetings with no access to the press!
I sense a lot of dodgy stuff going on behind the scenes, like Trump towers all over Moscow in exchange for…..
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Dear 1EartUnited,
I can’t say with certainty that something untoward is definitely going on by President Trump.
While President Trump is admiting that he’s not well prepared for the get together, President Putin will have memorized and studied his briefing documents so that he’ll be well prepared. President Putin has 18 years of experience in these kinds of gatherings, President Trump doesn’t and his record for success in this area so far is abysmal.
What could possibly go wrong?
Hugs, Gronda
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Gronda, a man who does not know or care to know very much will be following his gut. His adversary will have studied the US President and know where to probe and how to get the most out of this. Having the meeting, Putin will have already won. Then there is that issue of Trump being beholden to Putin which ranges from a little to a lot. Keith
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Dear Keith,
You are right on point. President Trump will be participating in this meet with no real agenda, little preparation while President Putin will be the consummate professional but who will go out of his way to charm and flatter President Trump. President Putin will have spent hours seriously studying his briefing documents to where he’ll be prepared with a set of goals.
As you said, President Putin has already won by being back on the world stage at the behest of President Trump.
Hugs, Gronda
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President Trump believes he can convince President Putin to force the Iranians to leave Syria
And he’ll no doubt walk out of the meeting confirming this action (and most likely others) similar to what he did with Kim Jong-un — even though no TRUE consensus was ever made in that meeting or will occur in this meeting.
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Dear Nan,
What you say is true. Many of the GOP in the US Congress operate in fear of President Trump. Many journalists who cover the US Congress say that what many of these same republican lawmakers when they are speaking off the record are highly critical of President Trump, but the minute, they are in the spotlight, they sing a different tune.
If President Trump tries this maneuver to say that Russians will force the Iranians to leave Syria, he is being misleading. Israel will be very upset over this unless it is for real because they don’t want their arch enemies, the Iranians in the part of Syria that shares the border with Israel.
President Netanyahu has been advising the president on this but, unfortunately President Trump doesn’t always listen well.
Hugs, Gronda
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This summit is seeing collusion before our very eyes. If Congress gives him a free pass on this then they are complicit as well.
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Dear Usfman,
The Democratic leaders have issued a letter requesting that President Trump cancel this Trump-Putin summit. Senator McCain has gone public to advise against this.
President Trump is going ahead with this and damn on the incoming torpedoes.
This is so frustrating to watch. Its like watching a car crash that you could see was going to occur, but where you are helpless to prevent it.
Hugs, Gronda
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