ALASKA SUMMIT: CN Editor Joe Lauria joined Jackson Hinkle’s Legitimate Targets to discuss the Putin-Trump meeting and the Middle East.
What was once Seward’s Folly may become Trump’s as the U.S. and Russian presidents meet this Friday in Alaska. CN‘s Editor Joe Lauria was Jackson Hinkle’s guest on his program Legitimate Targets to discuss the upcoming summit as well as the continuing crisis in the Middle East.
It is to Russia’s advantage to keep Trump on side, to try to restore U.S.-Russian relations and to get Trump to understand Russia’s point of view, something severely lacking in the West. Trump said he’s just going to listen to Putin. But earlier he said he’d discuss land swaps with the Russian leader. Then he told European leaders on Wednesday he won’t offer any Ukrainian territory to Putin and if Russia doesn’t agree to a ceasefire there would be “severe consequences” — probably more sanctions.
But who can believe him? No serious leader takes Trump seriously, Lauria tells Hinkle, but Trump has to be dealt with because of the serious office he holds. Putin needs to humor and flatter Trump, to avoid sanctions and to keep Trump from giving in to the neocons and lending greater support for Ukraine, as well as to keep the Europeans in check. Putin will not give in on territory or a ceasefire and may get a non-Ukraine agreement with the U.S. to improve bilateral relations.
Don’t look for Putin to give away anything that won’t advance Russia’s goals of demilitarization, denazification and neutrality for Ukraine.
“Putin will play Trump like a Stradivarius,” Lauria tells Hinkle.
On the Middle East, the genocide in Gaza will continue despite Western governments losing patience with Israel, though Germany cutting off military aid is a very hopeful sign. And don’t look for Israel to re-engage war with Iran after it took a heavy toll the first time around and with Israel’s focus now on capturing Gaza City.
W/o a doubt, Jackson Hinkle’s “Legitimate Targets” w/Joe Lauria is “Top Shelf! Numero Uno! SFO!!!” No doubt, JOE LAURIA is beyond f.brillant! 100% SOLID! TY, Joe Lauria.
Hinkle’s ask about tomorrow’s Summit, “will it be an “Outline of a Settlement?” “NO.” Joe Lauria. (LOL). Followed by the “Encyclopedia Lauria.” BRAVISSIMO!!! Classico, is ”Trump didn’t even know what BRICS was!” Joe Lauria w/receipta!
…. “Putin will play Trump like a Stradivarius,” Lauria tells Hinkle. “Putin welcomes this meeting.” 2nd that emotion!!!
Outta the gate & to date, “Russia rocks the Queen. Ukraine is the Pawn. Et tu, USG/NATO?” Trump-Vance, Inc.
“[AGAIN], Russia has said, from 2008, incorporation of NATO into that alliance is a red line. How many times do we need to repeat ourselves?” Vladimir Putin, 2.7.22
AND, “I would like to emphasize once again that the conversation was very constructive, and I rate it highly. The question, of course, is for the Russian and Ukrainian sides to show maximum desire for peace and find compromises that would suit all parties. At the same time, I would like to note that Russia’s position is generally clear. The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis.” President Vladimir Putin, 5.19.25 @ hxxps://consortiumnews.com/2025/05/19/rooting-out-the-root-causes-in-ukraine/
Joe Lauria concludes, “The war will go on.” Lauria calls it! like Leonard Cohen, “Awh, the wars they will be fought again. The holy dove, she will be caught again. Bought and sold, and bought again. The dove is never free.” However, never say die, “Ring the bell that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack, in everything. That’s how the light gets in!” Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem.”
TY, Jackson Hinkle, Joe Lauria, Consortium News dot com!!! “Keep It Lit!”
‘Putin Will Play Trump Like a Stradivarius’. The sad part about this statement is what is says about the modern American Left.
Trump is easy to play, which is what I presume the “stradivarius” comment means. A well-made, instrument, crafted for musicians, is easier to play than a cheap piece of junk from the local music store sold at the beginning of band season. Trump is very predictable. Trump’s responses are easily predictable. This means, one can easily ‘play’ Trump, as you can predict what Trump’s response to stimuli will be.
Trump’s playbook is very thin. Trump uses only a few tactics. Mostly in the form of someone who thinks they are superior bullying the inferior. It works well against those of weak will, or those who have foolishly sold their souls to America and thus have no other options. Trump is trying this again with Russia before the summit. Considering that Trump does not have many other tactical options, this is unlikely a surprise to the Russians.
The sad part is that the only people who can not ‘play’ Trump appear to be on the modern American Left. They look like the old Washington Generals playing against the Harlem Globetrotters.
“[D]on’t look for Israel to re-engage war with Iran after it took a heavy toll the first time around and with Israel’s focus now on capturing Gaza City.”
I can only hope that the likes of Trita Parsi (in his recent Foreign Policy article from August 11) and Rep. Thomas Massie (who drew attention to the likelihood of Israel starting a new war at some point between now and December 2025 as reported in said article) are indeed wrong in their assumptions.
There’s an old saying, typically attributed to George Patton’s Boss … Gen. Omar Bradley: “Amateurs talk tactics. Professionals talk logistics.”
America has to produce a whole lot of multi-million dollar THAAD and Patriot SAMs before Israel can even think of having another go at Iran. If professionals were in charge, then the likelihood of Israel restarting this war with Iran would be based on production rates at American missile factories and how much of this production America wants to save for its coming war with China (see John Pilger). But, with Fox News running the Pentagon and Netanyahu firing generals until he gets one who agrees with him, its unlikely the professionals are in charge.
“Regardless of whether Iran resumes uranium enrichment, Israel is determined to deny it time to replenish its missile arsenal, restore air defenses, or deploy improved systems. That logic is central to Israel’s ‘mowing the grass’ strategy: strike preventively and repeatedly to prohibit adversaries from developing capabilities that could challenge Israeli military dominance.
This means that, with Iran already rebuilding its military resources, Israel has an incentive to strike sooner rather than later. What’s more, the political calculus around another attack becomes much more complicated once the United States enters its midterm election season. As a result, a strike could very well take place within the coming months.
[…]
While the June war ended inconclusively, the outcome of the next one will hinge on which side learned more and acts faster: Can Israel replenish its interceptors faster than Iran can rebuild its launchers and restock its missile arsenal? Does the Mossad still have a deep presence inside Iran, or were most of its assets spent in pursuit of regime collapse during the first war? Has Iran gained more insight into penetrating Israel’s air defenses than Israel has into closing its gaps? For now, neither side can answer these questions with confidence.”
Source:
Trita Parsi, “The Next Israel-Iran War Is Coming,” Foreign Policy, Aug. 11, 2025