# Putin, Crimea and Trump **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 15, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935 "2016-08-15T17:22:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/1 "2016-08-15T17:22:10Z")
Russia is sabre rattling again - of course during the Olympics as is their typical strategy: [Putin deploys Russia’s most advanced air-defence missiles in Crimea as alarm grows war is imminent](http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/putin-deploys-russias-most-advanced-air-defence-missiles-in-crimea-as-alarm-grows-war-is-imminent) Meanwhile, we hear that Trump’s campaign manager may have be very, VERY cozy with Russia, in particular with those in Russia who want to take over Ukraine. Also, Trump is now receiving security briefings. Question - will Trump get briefings on the US response to aggression by Russia in the Crimea? What are the odds that he can possibly keep this to himself, and not share with his campaign manager, who very recently was working closely with those in Russia who are currently ramping up their military? I mean seriously - this is a very, VERY clear security problem right here. On a related note - we currently know very little about how indebted Trump may be to Russian banks or Russian billionaires. This little fact is now very, VERY pertinent to national security issues. Is there any way that security people can be looking into this - carefully? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/2 "2016-08-15T17:29:46Z")
I doubt very much he’s getting information that Russian intelligence hasn’t already gathered and known for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/3 "2016-08-15T17:35:30Z")
I have no idea whatsoever the legal demands governing these briefings, but I think the briefings given to the tight-lipped, ex-Secretary of State with a 90% chance of winning will be quite different than the ones given to the loose-lipped, near-bankrupt fool with a 10% chance of winning and serious ties to Russian interests. Hell, if I were whatever department that does these things, Id send some kids to do Trumps briefings. Its not like he is going to ask difficult questions or anything - get some young up 'n comer to get some experience they wouldn’t get if the Republicans had put up a serious candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/4 "2016-08-15T17:40:54Z")
I wish I could find the article, but the briefings are identical, and very general - along the lines of “here are areas we are concerned with”, but no details about what is actually being done. Presumably they pick up speed once some one is president-elect. And two months is a lot of time to briefed on actual issues and plans. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/5 "2016-08-15T17:43:19Z")
The U.S. Armed Services would be acting with gross negligence if they failed to acequately brief a person with a 10-20% chance of being President of the United States. They’re in sort of a no-win scenario. I have a feeling, though, that certain government agencies are very, very interested in Mr. Manafort, what he does, and what he says, and who he talks to. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/6 "2016-08-15T17:53:01Z")
True, the level of discussion matters - if they just go over “30,000 foot” topics, no big deal. However, though the presentation to the two parties is exactly the same, the difference between DJT and HRC in the quality and type of questions asked afterwards, I’m sure, is a matter of discussion in those circles. And probably not in DJT’s favor. In thinking about it, this brings up another purpose of the briefings: It allows the military to review the two major presidential candidates. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/7 "2016-08-15T18:18:31Z")
I would seed something ‘interesting’ into the briefing(s) to see if it flows anywhere - If the briefings are held separately, then each party would get a slightly different seed. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/8 "2016-08-15T18:40:26Z")
> [@simster](#): > > I would seed something ‘interesting’ into the briefing(s) to see if it flows anywhere - If the briefings are held separately, then each party would get a slightly different seed. What a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/9 "2016-08-15T18:53:45Z")
> [@simster](#): > > I would seed something ‘interesting’ into the briefing(s) to see if it flows anywhere - If the briefings are held separately, then each party would get a slightly different seed. [Stolen from another poster here](http://www.theonion.com/article/us-ambassador-to-bulungi-suspected-of-making-count-790), but I can’t remember who: “Obama refuses to help country of Bulunga with fighting between Côte d’Ivoire’s army and Bulungi’s Mukka-Lukka rebels! Sad!” ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/10 "2016-08-15T18:56:44Z")
Did anybody else read the thread title and find themselves saying: “Oh, my.”? ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/11 "2016-08-15T20:07:37Z")
Wow, memes are getting weird, it took me a minute to think “Dorothy” rather than “Takei”. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/12 "2016-08-16T02:26:33Z")
> [@simster](#): > > I would seed something ‘interesting’ into the briefing(s) to see if it flows anywhere - If the briefings are held separately, then each party would get a slightly different seed. That’s called a [Canary Trap](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_trap) and I’d almost bet money any of these briefing materials are canary trapped all to hell by default. ---
**Author:** ![john\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@john\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_L)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/13 "2016-08-16T05:46:49Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Question - will Trump get briefings on the **US response to** **aggression by Russia** in the Crimea? i think Russia already knows what Obama’s response will be – Nothing ! just like w/ Crimea 2 yrs ago … then eastern Ukraine. Russia’s still got Hillary’s great " reset button " ! ha! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/14 "2016-08-16T06:28:33Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Hell, if I were whatever department that does these things, Id send some kids to do Trumps briefings. Its not like he is going to ask difficult questions or anything - get some young up 'n comer to get some experience they wouldn’t get if the Republicans had put up a serious candidate. Actually, if they read Trump articles from the Times, it would be news to him and maybe do him some good. But it is not clear he has the attention span to last for an entire one. Once he understands basic recent history, they can start with the classified stuff. I wouldn’t be sweating that. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/15 "2016-08-16T08:27:57Z")
> [@john\_L](#): > > i think Russia already knows what Obama’s response will be – Nothing ! > just like w/ Crimea 2 yrs ago … then eastern Ukraine. > > Russia’s still got Hillary’s great " reset button " ! ha! How about sticking to the topic at hand, instead of tangents? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/16 "2016-08-16T12:35:10Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Did anybody else read the thread title and find themselves saying: “Oh, my.”? Yes. Trump’s admiration for Putin and his willingness to dismiss NATO and legitimize the Crimean annexation should give anyone pause. If the Russians really want a particular candidate to win the presidency, then you have to wonder why. ---
**Author:** ![john\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@john\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_L)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putin-crimea-and-trump/762935/17 "2016-08-16T22:02:26Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > How about sticking to the topic at hand, instead of tangents? how about this ? Putin annexed Crimea in 2014… while Obama did nothing to stop him , and Trump wasn’t even a potus candidate at the time. currently… Putin deploys his S-400 advanced missile system into Crimea.