After four years of getting short shrift by his U.S. counterparts, Putin was standing with Trump, who lavished him with the praise, respect and awe normally heard only on Russian state TV.
Syria
Russian ‘Reset 2.0’: What Putin Wants From Trump At Helsinki Summit
“Scoring this reset 2.0 validates Putin’s strategy of staring down the U.S. with zero concessions and no change in Russian posture.”
After U.S. Strikes On Syria, The Gloves Come Off In Moscow
“The real estate billionaire has repeated the deplorable experience of his predecessors,” the Russian government newspaper said.
Russian Defense Minister Says His Military Has Tested 162 Weapons In Syria
The Kremlin has never made a secret that its intervention in Syria has been an excellent opportunity to show off its new military prowess.
After Diplomat’s Killing, Russia Doubles Down On Ties With Turkey
Putin needs Erdogan, and Erdogan needs Putin. What to do about Syria has become an opportunity for both leaders to act as power brokers in a global crisis.
“Hotspots”
The word choice was an unhappy mélange of the common meanings of hot spot, evoking a place that was dangerous, crowded, and high-tech all at the same time.
He Came, He Saw, He Withdrew From Syria
The main unspoken reason for the Kremlin’s Syria mission was to re-establish Russia as a global player on par with the United States.
Merkel’s Dilemma
The term Mexit is worming its way into Germany’s political vocabulary, because the idea of Merkel’s departure after a decade in power is no longer unthinkable.
When It Comes to Russia, It’s Munich All Over Again – Again
After the Cold War, Europeans became accustomed to gathering in Munich each year to talk about other people’s problems. Now they are learning that fences and seas can’t keep out the rest of the world.
Vladimir Putin Picks Turkey Over US as the Enemy in Annual Q&A
In a world of fake news and imitation politics, nobody knows what Russians really think of Putin — or how deep their loyalty lies.
