Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018

EA-Times Radio VideoCast: Countering the Spectacle and Threat of the Putin-Trump Meeting

UPDATE 1723 GMT:

Speaking with Turkey’s TRT World, David Dunn comments on the White House line that Donald Trump’s encounter with Vladimir Putin on Friday will only be a “listening exercise”.

The language from the White House is welcome because it indicates how much concern has been expressed to Washington over this meeting.

UPDATE 1156 GMT:

Just before the call between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, nine European leaders, and Donald Trump, I joined the Pat Kenny Show on Dublin NewsTalk to evaluate the tactics before Trump’s photo opportunity with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday:

Donald Trump was compromised by the Russians. How he was compromised, I’ll buy you a couple of beers and we’ll talk about it.

But he was compromised when he went into office and tried to cover up his cooperation with the Russians. That’s still a vulnerability for the US system.

UPDATE, AUG 13:

I joined a panel on India’s NDTV on Tuesday evening to evaluate the possibilities and threats of Donald Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday — and of the maneuvers by Ukraine and Europe to push back Russia’s demands over its invasion.

The other panellists are Professor Jonah Blank and Moscow-based commentator Fred Weir.

This is the Kremlin’s last card to play with Trump: the photo opportunity with Putin.

They have been on the defensive over Trump’s threat of toughened sanctions. They haven’t made a big breakthrough in the east, and the economy is flatlining.

UPDATE 1153 GMT:

I joined Poland’s TVP World on Tuesday morning to analyze the possible outcomes of Donald Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin — and how Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and European partners are trying to ensure that Trump does not join Putin’s ultimatum for Kyiv’s surrender.

We’ve been here before. Think back to February. Russia immediately got the Trump Administration into direct talks, including with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and cut out Ukraine and European leaders.

Ukraine and Europe responded with the same line we are hearing today: for any resolution of Russia’s invasion, they must be at the table.

They were successful with that on a number of fronts.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: EA’s David Dunn joined Ireland’s RTE Radio 1 and Australia’s ABC News on Monday to evaluate Donald Trump’s forthcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Listen to RTE Radio 1’s Today With Claire

The other guest is James Waterhouse, the BBC’s Moscow correspondent. The host is Colm Ó Mongáin.

Trump has made it clear that he is not interested in doing things trilaterally.

He thinks that he is a great negotiator and he can solve the problems simply by sitting down with Putin and thrashing things out.

The Europeans fear that they will not be able to check Putin’s ability to manipulate Trump into making agreements that are unacceptable to the Ukrainians and for European security.

This is a dangerous moment from the perspective of Ukraine and Europe.

Watch Australia ABC’s The World

Dunn summarizes the Trump Administration’s chaotic and unqualified approach to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:

This summit doesn’t look likely to be the source of a breakthrough. Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has given false hope.

Ukraine wants a ceasefire, and instead Trump is agreeing to host Putin and make major concessions just by meeting with no prospect of that ceasefire.