He’ll discuss spelling Ukraine, Syria and many other grown-up words.
Not sure what is supposed to be debated here, but this is more of an IMHO (or MPSIMS) thread than an Elections thread.
Moving.
People are pretty sure that Syria is going to figure heavily in the summit :
Israeli, European and U.S. experts outlined some likely elements of the framework. In exchange for U.S. withdrawal of its demands for a political transition in Syria, Russia will support various measures to contain Iranian power, including:
● Iranian-backed forces will stay at least 80 kilometers from the Israeli border on the Golan Heights.
● Israel will have tacit Russian permission to attack threatening Iranian targets in Syria, so long as Russian troops aren’t harmed. Israel has exercised this freedom of action in recent weeks to strike secret Iranian bases and block Tehran’s attempt to open a Syrian “second front” against Israel that would complement Hezbollah in Lebanon.
● Assad’s army, backed by Russian air power, will consolidate control in southwest Syria and retake posts on the Jordanian border. Jordan favors Assad’s control of the border because it might allow truck traffic to resume, boosting the cash-strapped Jordanian economy. Opposition forces in the southwest apparently will be left to fend for themselves. As thousands of new Syrian refugees flee toward a closed Jordanian border, a new slaughter of trapped civilians is possible.
● Russian military police will patrol areas of southwest Syria and perhaps other regions, in an effort to stabilize those zones. But a European diplomat cautions that any expectation that Russian power will mean security is “based on wishful thinking rather than reality.” The United States, for now, will retain its garrison at al-Tanf, in southern Syria, to block any Iranian advance there.
● Russia and the Assad regime will expand their outreach to Syrian Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, in areas where the Kurds have partnered successfully with U.S. Special Operations forces to defeat the Islamic State and restore stability. U.S. commanders hope American troops can remain for 18 more months or so. But Trump has voiced his impatience with this mission.
Is this all a good idea?
Syrian opposition leaders are bitterly disappointed at the deal that’s taking shape, and one warned me that the American “betrayal” will be an incubator for future jihadist movements. European countries, which have been key covert allies in Syria, are deeply skeptical that the anti-Iran plan will work. “Britain and France have warned the U.S. that it’s highly improbable that Russia has the presence on the ground to get the Iranians to shift out” of areas they now dominate, a European diplomat told me.
Trump’s willingness to accede to Russian power in Syria — and to give up hard-won U.S. gains — troubles many Pentagon officials, but they seem to be losing the argument.
Other speculation is that Trump will recognize Crimea as part of Russia:
The idea that Trump would or could discuss any substantive issue is risible. They might discuss how Putin will interfere with the coming election. But probably discussing Trump’s financial debts to friends of Putin and what Trump will do in return.
It appears Trump never met a dictator he didn’t like or a democrat he did. And I don’t mean Democrat.
I wonder how will the announcement of indictments for these 12 Russian intelligence officers for hacking the DNC affect the summit?
bobot
July 13, 2018, 4:59pm
26
A leader with integrity would call it off. Therefore, Trump will meet with Putin and not bring the subject up.
DinoR
July 14, 2018, 1:43am
27
There’s a pretty valuable subject that can be brought up at this summit. It’s something that can’t really wait for the next President without serious repurcussions - strategic arms control.
The New START treaty that currently limits nuclear weapons expires in February 2021. The Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty is also in jeopardy of being ended. After expressing concerns during Russian development of the SSC-8 cruise missile the Obama adminstration formally complained that its fielding violated INF. With the US Nuclear Posture Review after Trump took office, the US is now developing a new nuclear-armed ground launched cruise missile that, if fielded, would be in violation of the treaty. Strategic arms control is an area is not a quick process and we stopped the routine talks. The last round of the strategic stability talks got canceled. We’re at the point of needing to get back to the table to even begin the work needed to extended New START. An agreement between Trump and Putin to get back to the table is a potentially achievable goal in a short summit.
A recent article from Reuters with more details - Trump, Putin may agree to resume stalled arms control talks
I imagine he’ll screw over NATO while he’s there.
Trump’s prep for his summit meeting with Putin involves not thinking about the things they should discuss:Trump’s mind on unrelated issues before he meets Putin
President Donald Trump is tweeting about golf, blaming his predecessor for election hacking and hate-watching CNN, two days before a high-stakes summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Trump is spending the weekend at his seaside Trump Turnberry golf resort in Scotland.
Aides had said he’d be busy preparing for Monday’s summit in Helsinki, but Trump spent the first part of Saturday tweeting.
Trump blamed former President Barack Obama for failing to stop a dozen Russian military intelligence officers from hacking into emails belonging to the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party.
He also continued to criticize CNN. Trump mocked network president Jeff Zucker as “Little Jeff Z” following a spat with a CNN correspondent at a news conference Friday in Britain.
This guy is such an embarrassment.
Almost all the speculation I’m reading is about Syria and Trump agreeing to withdraw all American troops from the area. Apparently people in the region already think that is what is going to happen, so they’ve started to act accordingly: by courting Russia.
As President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin prepare to meet, many of America’s allies in the Mideast are concerned that Trump will agree to a partial or complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria — as both Syria and Russia have demanded. Confused by apparently conflicting messages, and doubtful that the U.S. has a plan for its own long-term goals in Syria, regional allies are looking to Russia.
Unfortunately, most of the speculation is along the line that Trump is jut gonna be told what to do in Helsinki, and it’s hard to imagine Putin NOT wanting Trump to withdraw American troops, considering all that he’d stand to gain without firing a shot or shedding any blood.
Look at the recent totally-strong-not-weak and 100%-his-own-man posturing and actions of Trump lately:
Late last month, however, Assad’s forces, aided by Russian airstrikes and Iranian-directed militias, began heading south from Damascus for an announced takeover of the area. As the offensive got underway, the administration publicly denounced Russia for violating the cease-fire agreement, even as it privately told regional allies that it would not oppose the move and messaged opposition forces that they would get no assistance and were better off giving up.
The administration apparently asked Russia for nothing in return. As refugees from ground attacks and Russian bombing fled to nearby borders, and humanitarian organizations warned of catastrophe, Israel and Jordan turned to Moscow to ensure that their interests would be protected.
For Jordan, whose foreign minister traveled there shortly after hearing the news from Washington, Russia came through.
That’s winning, right Mr. Trump? But for whom? :dubious:
I wonder whether Snowden’s residency in Russia is in jeopardy…
No talk of election meddling ; what a surprise!
After Trump concluded his remarks, American reporters shouted several questions about whether he would bring up election meddling during his discussions with Putin.
Trump did not respond; Putin appeared to smirk.
Anyone really need to speculate about what Trump’s wink meant? :dubious:
Putin struck a casual pose during Trump’s remarks, slouching in his chair with his legs wide and eyes low. He nodded along to some of Trump’s remarks before they were translated, showcasing his fluency in English. Trump leaned forward in his chair, his hands tented in front of him and frequently glancing over at the Russian president. At one point, he shot Putin a wink.
The early reviews are not favorable :
Sen. John McCain calls President Donald Trump’s press conference “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.”
The Arizona Republican says the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki was “a tragic mistake.”
The senator says Trump proved not only unable, “but unwilling to stand up to Putin.” And he said Trump and Putin “seemed to be speaking from the same script” as Trump made a “conscious choice to defend a tyrant.”
A top Republican senator says President Donald Trump’s refusal to condemn Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election makes the U.S. “look like a pushover” in dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says Trump’s performance at a summit with Putin was not “a good moment for our country. This was a very good day for President Putin.”
Corker says there’s no doubt Russia interfered in the election, adding that he was disappointed and saddened that Trump equated the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered and Putin’s denial.
Corker said Trump seems to care more “about how a leader treats him personally” than pushing back against Russia’s meddling in the election.
House Speaker Paul Ryan says there’s “no question” that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and continues to try undermine democracy in the United States and around the world.
The Wisconsin Republican says the American intelligence community and the House Intelligence Committee agree that Russia interfered in the election. He adds: “The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally.” Ryan says Russia “remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals.”
“I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression,” tweeted Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. “This is shameful.”
I won’t even bother to post remarks from Schumer or Pelosi. I will post this one tho because when I read it it got a :eek:-face outta me:
CNN’s Anderson Cooper has called President Donald Trump’s performance at a news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin “disgraceful.”
The news conference, televised on the nation’s biggest broadcast and cable news networks, drew strong reaction from commentators after it was over. But Cooper’s initial assessment, made right after it ended, was among the most startling because he was anchoring the network’s news coverage.
Cooper called Trump’s performance “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president at a summit in front of a Russian leader, certainly that I’ve ever seen.”
The CNN anchor said Trump was like “Rain Man” in the way he returns to the subject of Hillary Clinton’s email server.
I took one for the team at lunch today and tuned to Fox ‘News’. While CNN and MSNBC had continuing coverage of the Helsinki fiasco, including interviews as presented by Snowboarder Bo above, Fox was showing a lengthy pictorial of Lisa Page walking down a hallway, with voiceover about her ‘grilling’ and mentions of her suspicious email exchanges. Then an interview with Darrel Issa where he called the FBI untrustworthy and… Well at that point I gave up and turned it off.
CannyDan:
I took one for the team at lunch today and tuned to Fox ‘News’. While CNN and MSNBC had continuing coverage of the Helsinki fiasco, including interviews as presented by Snowboarder Bo above, Fox was showing a lengthy pictorial of Lisa Page walking down a hallway, with voiceover about her ‘grilling’ and mentions of her suspicious email exchanges. Then an interview with Darrel Issa where he called the FBI untrustworthy and… Well at that point I gave up and turned it off.
Wow.
How long before the FoxNews logo is retired and they just start using “RT”?
Trump firmly kissed the ass of Putin in front of the entire world.
Trump-Putin summer summit? Aye!
More like** OY!**
DinoR
July 16, 2018, 11:05pm
39
Well that managed to somehow limbo under the so low it’s a tripping hazard bar
Any bets on whether right wingers who were so incensed over Obama’s “apology tour” will get equally upset over Donald’s Fellatio Tour?