The Putin Playbook: Is the Alaska Summit a Trap for Trump?

As President Trump prepares for his summit with Vladimir Putin, seasoned foreign policy observers are warning that the meeting could be a carefully laid trap, straight from the Putin playbook. The fear is that Trump’s desire for a deal could be exploited by the Russian leader.
The playbook often involves creating the illusion of being open to negotiation while having no real intention of making meaningful concessions. Putin may use the summit’s high-profile stage to project an image of himself as a reasonable peacemaker, while blaming Ukraine or the West if the talks fail.
Another classic move is to use bilateral talks to divide an adversary’s alliance. By engaging Trump directly and floating ideas that make European allies uncomfortable, Putin can sow discord and weaken the united Western front against him.
The Institute for the Study of War has assessed that Putin is trying to “extract bilateral concessions” from the U.S. without genuinely engaging in a peace process. If this is true, the Alaska summit is not a negotiation, but a trap designed to legitimize Putin, divide the West, and gain advantages without ending the war.