For what has to be the most hastily cobbled-together summit conference in history, a precise location was finally chosen yesterday, with just two full days left to finalize all of the preparations that usually take weeks to put into place.

But this one is unique in several respects, the principal problem being the ICC warrant in effect against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the commission of war crimes in Ukraine, which severely limits his ability to travel outside of Russia without placing himself in jeopardy of being arrested. So the site had to be a country friendly to both the U.S. and Russia. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban would have welcomed the opportunity to host the meeting; but Putin — to the apparent surprise of American officials — agreed to come to the U.S. Though why they should be surprised, I can’t imagine.

The irony of the meeting being held in Alaska, which was once part of the Russian Empire, may be lost on Trump; but you can bet that Putin is well aware of it. Trump even said, “I thought it was very respectful that the president of Russia is coming to our country as opposed to us going to his country or even a third-party place.” [Kristen Holmes, Kevin Liptak ad David Brooks, CNN, August 12, 2025.]

Respectful, my Aunt Fannie! He’s reveling in the photo op and the boost to his status as Trump’s equal on the world stage. As former national security adviser John Bolton said:

“The only better place for Putin than Alaska would be if the summit were being held in Moscow. So, the initial setup, I think, is a great victory for Putin.” [Id.]

I have to say that I’m in partial disagreement with Mr. Bolton; I think Washington would have been even better . . . except, perhaps, for all of the homeless people, and the troops patrolling the streets.

But I digress . . .

In addition to the shortage of time, there have been logistical problems in connection with finding a suitable location for a presidential summit, both in terms of security and appropriate facilities. Alaska is, after all, America’s last frontier, and not known for its extravagant, Trump-style hotels and estates. There is no Mar-a-Lago in the “Land of Enchantment.” (I’ll bet Trump could find some more money to steal from the defense budget to build one, though I wouldn’t want to give him any ideas.)

So they finally settled on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson at Anchorage, which, while not elegant, at least meets the security requirements. And now the rush is on to iron out the minuscule details, such as menus, flowers, and seating arrangements . . . not to mention an actual agenda.

At this point, it appears that the talks will include just the two principals — Putin and Trump — and their respective interpreters, which means that we may never know the whole truth of what takes place in that room. Putin will no doubt have worked out a firm game plan, while Trump appears to be winging it. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a radio interview on Tuesday:

“The president feels like, ‘look, I’ve got to look at this guy across the table. I need to see him face to face. I need to hear him one-on-one. I need to make an assessment by looking at him.’” [Id.]

With all due respect . . . No, forget the respect; I’ll just toss it out there:

That’s a hell of a way to run the world!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/13/25