Your words matter, Mr President

Even during the Cold War, it made sense for US presidents to meet with leaders of what was then the Soviet Union. Personal contact between the president of the United States and the president of the Russian Federation can likewise be productive on issues such as Syria, North Korea, nuclear-arms control and Ukraine. So why are we apprehensive about the planned meeting of President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16?

One reason is this president likes to improvise. But our greater concern is that Trump might not be willing to confront Putin over Russia’s attempts to undermine the Nato alliance or its efforts to interfere in the American election process.

John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser, said that Trump likely would raise the electionmeddling issue with Putin. But it’s hard to believe the president will be very insistent.

Some might argue that Trump’s comments about Nato, which arguably reflect his ‘‘America First’’ approach to foreign affairs, as well as his see-no-evil attitude towards Russia’s election meddling, don’t matter – because the rest of the US government pursues a policy towards Russia that is rooted in reality. Yet Americans can derive only so much consolation from that. Under our constitution, it’s the president who ultimately drives foreign policy. What Trump says – and doesn’t say – to Putin still matters.