Trump’s Alaska Summit: A Win for Putin, a Loss for America
Following a warm greeting on the Alaskan tarmac, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in a seemingly friendly environment, which included promises to follow up on the meeting. Despite the backdrop of ongoing conflict in Ukraine and prior issues with the country’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump and Putin shared smiles and laughter, making little tangible progress. This meeting highlights a pattern of deference towards rivals like Putin while allies receive criticism and scolding, indicating an asymmetry in Trump-era foreign policy. This pattern has the potential to repeat itself as Trump seems easily manipulated by Putin, while real-world issues like climate change in Alaska and the ongoing war in Ukraine remain unaddressed.
John Q. Hosedrinker