Donald Trump has no advisers on Russia or Ukraine, expert says, sparking alarm; a British newspaper forecasts a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday without specialist guidance.
Media: Trump Will Be Without Specialist Support Ahead of Talks
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are set to meet at a U.S. military base in Alaska on Friday, 15 August. The main topic will be a cease‑fire in Ukraine, according to a news article in the Financial Times calling the meeting “another step toward a ceasefire”. The article also reports that a room “is likely to lack experts on Russia”. In his second term, Trump places loyalty over experience among his close aides, while running an aggressive campaign to weaken and replace lower‑level officials, the article notes.
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump
The Financial Times says the room will probably have no Russia experts. Former U.S. diplomat Eric Rubin, who served as ambassador to Greece during Trump’s first term, said Trump has no decision‑makers knowledgeable about Russia and Ukraine to advise him. Daniel Fried, former U.S. ambassador to Poland, warned “We cannot allow Trump and Witek to improvise because they simply know too little”. He added that someone in the room must eye the president, roll their eyes and shake their head—“this is not an administration where processes are driven by experts”.
Mass Farewells
The British newspaper also notes that the National Security Council (NSC), responsible for coordinating interagency actions, normally plays a key role in summit preparations. In Trump’s second term its membership has been drastically reduced. A high‑ranking official familiar with the matter said that from his point of view the traditional foreign‑policy process in Washington, driven by the NSC, “largely stopped working” in this administration. Moreover, over 1,300 State Department employees were fired last month in a federal‑administration cut‑back campaign. Among them were analysts on Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, key positions dealing with Russia and Ukraine remain vacant: Trump begins talks with Putin without an assistant secretary of state for Europe—and without ambassadors to Russia or Ukraine.
General: I Do Not Expect Anything Good After This Meeting
What can we expect from the leaders’ meeting on Friday? So far, repeated talks between leaders have not produced concrete agreements on Ukraine. “This is not a negotiation but a humiliation for Donald Trump and Steve Witiko, a special envoy of the U.S. president—a red‑acted source.” The general said Trump still fails to understand the nuance of this diplomacy and he may be negotiating Ukraine’s capitulation because Russia has not made any gesture toward ending the war. The general added: “I do not expect anything good after this meeting.”
More on This Topic – Interview with General Polko
For more details you can read our interview with General Polko, “Bitter Words of a General. ‘Trump Negotiates Ukraine’s Capitulation’.”
