, Columnist
Putin and Trump Will Put On an Empty Show
The have a lot of shared interests, but there’s no chance of a deal.
Dress rehearsal.
Photographer: Timo Jaakonaho/AFP/Getty Images
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When President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16, some Americans will watch with apprehension: What if they hatch a plan that’ll harm U.S. interests? What if Trump is meeting with his handler rather than his counterpart?
They shouldn’t worry. There’s little doubt that Putin can handle Trump, but not as an intelligence asset, as some conspiracy theorists suggest. Even if, as many believe, Putin “has something on Trump,” he has nothing to gain by releasing the kompromat, except an even more hostile U.S. administration, with or without Trump at its head.