July, 17th, 2018

SCHADENFREUDE BALALAÏKA ?
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@flotus floated @gucci’s and @manoloblahnikhq’s at the #helsinkisummit presser. As for that @adidas @fifaworldcup official ball maybe I would scan it to avoid any listening devices planted by the Russians. Teasing. Now seriously. There was no grand bargain on Ukraine, no Russian deal on Syria, and no reneging of U.S. security commitments to Europe. But it was still the Russian president who won by being directorial of the agenda. Without a clear agenda from the U.S. side, it was up to Russia to lead the way, and Putin certainly did that: On Ukraine, Putin repeated the (false) Kremlin line that Kyiv or Kiev (we do, after all, say Munich, not München, and Rome, not Roma) was to blame for no progress being made on the Minsk agreements. He also had to explain the U.S. policy on Crimea, with Trump apparently being unwilling to do so. He is neither Foggy Bottom nor Quai d’Orsay. On Syria, Putin suggested that Russia mediate a global coalition to help Syrian refugees and secure the Israeli border, which would help solidify Russia’s role as the great power in the Middle East. It’s possible that President Trump was assured of various Russian concessions in the one-on-one meeting with Putin before the public briefing, but watching from the outside, it certainly looked like Putin was holding the winning hand. The United States is staying the course on the illegality of the Russian annexation of Crimea, on the war in Ukraine, on deterrence and defense of NATO’s eastern periphery. In terms of the intangibles that hold this alliance together—shared values, mutual commitment, and trust—the damage done by @realdonaldtrump is incalculable. He did not mention Russian aggression against Ukraine; when asked, could not name a single issue on which Kremlin action had contributed to the downturn in U.S.-Russia relations; took Putin’s denial of interference in the 2016 election over the conclusion of the U.S. intelligence community and did not say that Russia should cease such meddling or face consequences. Putin must have been thrilled. One can hope that Trump did better in the Tete-a-Tete, but is there any reason to think so? Detente with Russia is noble but not like this and Peace, not Appeasement, apparently is a terrible (neocon) thing.
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#ALESSANDROBERGA | L’ÉDITOR
#YELLOWPOLITICS #MODEDIPLOMATIQUE (at Helsinki)