Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were only scheduled to talk for thirty minutes. But with Putin’s friends Sergey Lavrov and Rex Tillerson acting as chaperons, autocrat and would-be autocrat talked, and talked, and talked. Like one of those dates when you suddenly realize you’re the only ones left in the diner, and the waitress is scowling at you, and it’s really way past time to get home and tweet about fake news.
And isn’t there something else you’re supposed to be doing?
While Trump and Putin are too smitten to attend the summit that ostensibly brought them to Germany, it appears that US and Russia had worked up a cease fire in Syria that’s set to be announced as soon as the meeting is over. However … that assumes the meeting will end.
You're the best.
No, you’re the best.
Well, yes, I am the best. But ...
As the two prepared to meet, Trump declared that it was “an honor” to be with Putin and that their discussion was off to a good start.
Putin had actually asked for a larger team, but Trump pressed to keep the numbers down to reduce the chance of that greatest horror of his regime …
Trump offered no details about what issues had been discussed so far, describing them only as “various things”. Putin was similarly vague, telling reporters through a translator that they were discussing international problems and bilateral issues.
It’s expected that they would speak about North Korea, Ukraine and Syria. Of course, it being Trump, they might just as well have cleared up a building permit, some trademarks, or the best place for a new Moscow golf course. And it being Putin, they may have planned strategy for 2020.