This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/16/the-trump-putin-statesman-show-soon-turns-knockabout

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
The Trump-Putin statesman show soon turns knockabout The Trump-Putin statesman show soon turns knockabout
(35 minutes later)
At Monday’s summit in Helsinki, two leaders not known for their love of diplomacy both tried out an act as elder statesmen, trading lofty phrases about shared interests and respect that could turn around the troubled relations between Russia and the United States.At Monday’s summit in Helsinki, two leaders not known for their love of diplomacy both tried out an act as elder statesmen, trading lofty phrases about shared interests and respect that could turn around the troubled relations between Russia and the United States.
The shtick lasted about a half hour before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s political instincts took over and their first official summit press conference descended into farce.The shtick lasted about a half hour before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s political instincts took over and their first official summit press conference descended into farce.
“What do you think, we collect compromat on all businessmen who come to Russia?” said Putin at one point without denying that he had gathered damaging information about Trump. “Get this idea out of your head.” “What do you think, we collect kompromat on all businessmen who come to Russia?” said Putin at one point without denying that he had gathered damaging information about Trump. “Get this idea out of your head.”
“What happened to the servers of the Pakistani gentleman that worked on the DNC?” Trump asked 300 journalists in a reception hall at the Finnish presidential palace. “What happened to Hillary Clinton’s emails?”“What happened to the servers of the Pakistani gentleman that worked on the DNC?” Trump asked 300 journalists in a reception hall at the Finnish presidential palace. “What happened to Hillary Clinton’s emails?”
Nuclear policy and cybersecurity were on this summit’s loosely defined agenda, but when the two emerged after four hours of deliberations, the first tête-à-tête with just interpreters and later over lunch with senior aides, there was little to feed to the press. Nuclear policy and cybersecurity were on this summit’s loosely defined agenda, but when the two emerged after four hours of deliberations – a tête-à-tête with just interpreters followed by lunch with senior aides – there was little to feed to the press.
Some nervous foreign policy hands said they feared Trump and Putin might conclude a grand bargain at this summit, a trade of US interests in Syria for Russian interests in eastern Europe. But there was no sign of any substantial progress by Monday evening, when the two spoke vaguely about their discussions, and blandly praised the politics of dialogue. Some nervous foreign policy hands said they feared Trump and Putin might conclude a grand bargain at this summit, a trade of US interests in Syria for Russian interests in eastern Europe. But there was no sign of any substantial progress by Monday evening, when the two spoke vaguely about their discussions and blandly praised the politics of dialogue.
But Trump had handed Putin a singular media victory, the soundbite of a US president at a summit telling the world that he didn’t believe his intelligence or law enforcement agents in favour of the foreign leader he’d gone to meet. But Trump had handed Putin a singular media victory, the soundbite of a US president at a summit telling the world that he did not believe his intelligence or law enforcement agents in favour of the foreign leader he had gone to meet.
“Nothing would be easier politically than to refuse to meet, refuse to engage, but that would not accomplish anything,” Trump said as he addressed reporters on Monday. “I would rather take a political risk in pursuit of peace, than to risk peace in pursuit of politics.” “Nothing would be easier politically than to refuse to meet, refuse to engage, but that would not accomplish anything,” Trump said as he addressed reporters. “I would rather take a political risk in pursuit of peace, than to risk peace in pursuit of politics.”
Soon reporters moved the discussion toward questions of collusion, and peppered with questions from an impatient audience, the two men shared in a favourite pastime: mocking the US press corps. Soon reporters moved the discussion toward questions of collusion. Peppered with questions from an impatient audience, the two men shared in a favourite pastime: mocking the US press corps.
Putin made an “incredible offer,” Trump said, to let US investigators come to Russia to discuss allegations of election interference with Russian law enforcement.Putin made an “incredible offer,” Trump said, to let US investigators come to Russia to discuss allegations of election interference with Russian law enforcement.
And, along the way, Putin also admitted deadpan to a journalist that he wanted Trump to win the US elections “because he was the one who wanted to normalise relations with Russia”. And, along the way, Putin admitted deadpan to a journalist that he wanted Trump to win the US elections “because he was the one who wanted to normalise relations with Russia”.
Earlier, there was plenty of pomp when this circus came to town, transforming summery Helsinki into a centre of international attention almost overnight. Trump and Putin sent almost impossibly large corteges down Mannerheimintie, the main street of the Finnish capital, stopping traffic and leaving ordinary Finns lined up along the road, wondering what they’d done to deserve this. Earlier, there was plenty of pomp when this circus came to town, transforming summery Helsinki into a centre of international attention almost overnight. Trump and Putin sent almost impossibly large corteges down Mannerheimintie, the main street of the Finnish capital, stopping traffic and leaving ordinary Finns lined up along the road, wondering what they had done to deserve this.
An apparent protester was wrestled out of the hall at the lavish presidential palace after trying to hold up a sign about the “nuclear test ban treaty”.An apparent protester was wrestled out of the hall at the lavish presidential palace after trying to hold up a sign about the “nuclear test ban treaty”.
And Putin even gave Trump a football, which the American president bounced over to his wife, Melania, in front of hundreds of journalists. The US president, apparently guessing at Putin’s weak spot, had relentlessly complimented the Russian on the recent World Cup, which he called “one of the best ever”, and complimented the play of the Russian side. And Putin even gave Trump a football, which the American president bounced over to his wife, Melania, in front of hundreds of journalists. The US president, apparently guessing at Putin’s weak spot, had relentlessly complimented the Russian on the recent World Cup, which he called “one of the best ever” and complimented the play of the Russian side.
“I just saw a US Secret Service agent put the soccer ball Putin gave Trump through a security scanner outside the Pres. Palace,” Bill Neely, a reporter for NBC, wrote later in a tweet. “He didn’t smile when I joked about it.” “I just saw a US secret service agent put the soccer ball Putin gave Trump through a security scanner outside the Pres. Palace,” Bill Neely, a reporter for NBC, wrote later in a tweet. “He didn’t smile when I joked about it.”
The message seemed clear. Even if Trump trusts Putin, the Secret Service are not taking any chances. The message seemed clear. Even if Trump trusts Putin, the secret service are not taking any chances.
Lost in the fireworks of Monday evening’s press conference of course was any real substance about what the two world leaders talked about.Lost in the fireworks of Monday evening’s press conference of course was any real substance about what the two world leaders talked about.
They perhaps hoped that this spectacle would recall the great moments of Soviet-US diplomacy, the 1975 Helsinki Accords where 35 countries including the Soviet Union agreed to respect territorial sovereignty and human rights. Or perhaps the discussions between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan a decade later with the goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons. They perhaps hoped that this spectacle would recall the great moments of Soviet-US diplomacy, the 1975 Helsinki accords where 35 countries including the Soviet Union agreed to respect territorial sovereignty and human rights. Or perhaps the discussions between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan a decade later with the goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons.
But ultimately the two had to be content to enjoy one another’s company. “I called him a competitor and a good competitor he is. I think the word competitor is a compliment,” Trump told reporters. Putin praised the talks in an unusually frank manner: “I and President Trump spoke well.”But ultimately the two had to be content to enjoy one another’s company. “I called him a competitor and a good competitor he is. I think the word competitor is a compliment,” Trump told reporters. Putin praised the talks in an unusually frank manner: “I and President Trump spoke well.”
They had both looked impossibly glum when they finally sat down together at the palace on Monday.They had both looked impossibly glum when they finally sat down together at the palace on Monday.
Putin slouched like a kid in the back of the class, as Barack Obama once said, while Trump sported a deep frown that some chalked up to Putin landing here almost an hour late.Putin slouched like a kid in the back of the class, as Barack Obama once said, while Trump sported a deep frown that some chalked up to Putin landing here almost an hour late.
It was an inauspicious start to a summit that seemed more about optics than substance. Putin arrived at the presidential palace first, fifteen minutes late, where Trump headed to even later from the Hilton Kalastajantorppa.It was an inauspicious start to a summit that seemed more about optics than substance. Putin arrived at the presidential palace first, fifteen minutes late, where Trump headed to even later from the Hilton Kalastajantorppa.
Then Trump gave Putin a wink, a gesture that seemed to establish some level of warmth between the two leaders, which has been viewed with suspicion in the west.Then Trump gave Putin a wink, a gesture that seemed to establish some level of warmth between the two leaders, which has been viewed with suspicion in the west.
“I really think the world wants to see us get along,” Trump said. “We are the two great nuclear powers. We have 90% of the nuclear – and that’s not a good thing it’s a bad thing. I think we can hopefully do something about that because it is not a positive force it is a negative force so we’ll be talking about that among other things.”“I really think the world wants to see us get along,” Trump said. “We are the two great nuclear powers. We have 90% of the nuclear – and that’s not a good thing it’s a bad thing. I think we can hopefully do something about that because it is not a positive force it is a negative force so we’ll be talking about that among other things.”
Ultimately, the reduced expectations that both sides had set for this summit were met, a result that above all may satisfy Finns worried that their capital could one day be associated with a fateful deal.Ultimately, the reduced expectations that both sides had set for this summit were met, a result that above all may satisfy Finns worried that their capital could one day be associated with a fateful deal.
“If the result is something in the tradition of those agreements, then it could be very positive, but if it’s something that becomes Munich-Yalta-Helsinki, then that would be catastrophic,” Laura Saarikoski, the US correspondent for the Finland daily newspaper, had told me, referring to talks synonymous with appeasement.“If the result is something in the tradition of those agreements, then it could be very positive, but if it’s something that becomes Munich-Yalta-Helsinki, then that would be catastrophic,” Laura Saarikoski, the US correspondent for the Finland daily newspaper, had told me, referring to talks synonymous with appeasement.
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
US foreign policyUS foreign policy
RussiaRussia
Trump administrationTrump administration
FinlandFinland
analysis
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content