Kremlin sees Trump as ‘moron to be played’: Expert

HELSINKI: Fresh from conquering his Nato allies, Donald Trump arrives in Helsinki today for a longawaited summit with Vladimir Putin.

Billed as “the diplomatic event of the summer”, few expect diplomacy in any normal sense.

The summit is the personal initiative of the US president, the result of a belief that personal bonds can overcome complex international problems.

But with an agenda put together at the last minute – apparently still to be finalised – it is difficult to see where substantive agreement can be forged.

And many in Moscow worry that Trump, while appearing conciliatory, may not fully understand the issues at stake.

“Trump’s unpredictability and inability to concentrate is concerning many people here,” said Alexey Sushenikov, a director of Valdai Club, a discussion forum associated with the Kremlin.

“US-Russian problems are of a systemic nature, and there can be no takeoff without proper preparation and commitment. People doubt Trump can provide that.”

But what Russia can do is engineer a ceremonial success.

Russia will be more than happy to create a media narrative of diplomatic triumph, security expert and former Kremlin adviser Vladmir Frolov said, only to “lock him in” and force painful concessions down the road.

“The Kremlin views Trump for what he is – a moron to take advantage of, a novice to be played.

“They want him to bulldoze his way through Western security institutions. They want him to create power vacuums that Russia then can fill.” – The Independent