• Of course all those European leaders came to the White House. How else can they enjoy air-conditioning?
• President Trump sat down with Vladimir Putin in a don’t-call-it-a-summit meeting in Alaska. Holding it at all was a major concession to Putin, who had been diplomatically isolated by the West. After three and a half years of war, Trump thought direct negotiations were worth trying. The Russian dictator hoped that weapons-grade presidential flattery and economic inducements could move the United States into neutrality. Trump wants a cease-fire, both for humanitarian reasons and his legacy. The Ukrainians and our European allies were clearly concerned that Kyiv could be cut out of negotiations that would decide its fate. As we go to press, nothing concrete has come of the talks. Putin proposed hard-to-swallow “land swaps” — unrequited concessions from Ukraine. Trump spoke tantalizingly of security guarantees for a postwar Ukraine, albeit ones that would involve no formal membership in NATO or U.S. troop commitments. Much depends on what happens next and the details of any agreement. Trump described the situation best: “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
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