Anders Åslund

Why does Trump want to be publicly embarrassed by Putin once again as he was in Helsinki in 2018?
What does he get from Putin?

Without Putin having made any concessions but on the basis of dumbwit Witkoff's misunderstandings, Trump is now inviting sanctioned international criminal Putin to meet him on US ground for the first time since 2003.
What an embarrassment for the US! /5

Needless to say Putin offered nothing about returning kidnapped and trafficked Ukrainian children or war reparations.
If the US had had a normal diplomatic service, Witkoff would have been sacked, but Trump favors incompetence and the undermining of the US. /4

The only thing Witkoff appears to have understood was that Putin wanted the well fortified remaining Ukrainian-held quarter of Donetsk oblast (Sloviansk & Kramatorsk), which would be a major blow to Ukraine's whole defense. /3

2. Putin demanded Ukraine withdraw from the rest of Zaporizhzhe & Kherson oblasts, but Witkoff thought he offered Russia to withdraw.
3. Witkoff thought Putin agreed a trilateral meeting with Trump & Zelensky, but he did not. /2

The incompetence of the Trump administration is incredible.
Witkoff has now met Putin five times in long meetings without any own interpreter or assistant.
He seems to have misunderstood everything.
1. The US demand was full ceasefire, but Putin offered only partial ceasefire. /1

Yet Another Sellout by Trump to His Handler Putin Background Briefing goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard elsewhere in American media. Background Briefing features international and national news, ex

We’re joined by @andersaslund.bsky.social discussing the upcoming Trump/Putin summit next Friday in Alaska. soundcloud.com/user-8304426...

Background Briefing

My NPR interview with eminent Ian Masters about Trump's planned meeting with Putin in Alaska:
Trump is stabbing Ukraine in the back.
www.backgroundbriefing.org

Since lonely Witkoff without Russia knowledge apparently misunderstood almost everything Putin told him during three hours, which was the basis for Trump announcing a meeting with Putin, the only logical step Trump could take would be to cancel his Putin meeting...
But logic is not Trump's thing.

Statement by President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Tusk, Prime Minister Starmer, President von der Leyen and President Stubb on Peace for Ukraine ahead of President ... We welcome President Trump\'s work to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation\'s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine.\nWe are convinced that ...

Sound statement by EU leaders:
We "stand firmly by the side of Ukraine."
No negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine.
defend its territorial integrity.
Meaningful negotiations only after a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities.
Trump has abandoned these 4 positions.
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Increasingly, Trump looks like Putin's ally.
He does nothing for Ukraine but plenty for Putin.
Trump cannot negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.
The remaining West must say so asap!

The disaster Trump is preparing with Putin can hardly be understated.
1. He is about to secure Russia's occupation of Ukrainian lands.
2. He helps Russia escape a fiscal crunch that could turn the war.
3. He effectively ends Western sanctions on Putin.

After Trump stopped ALL US aid to Ukraine & temporarily even sales of arms, the US has no role or voice in Ukraine & the Russia-Ukraine war.
Nothing that Trump does in favor of Russia the aggressor should be acknowledged or seen as legitimate.
The US is no player.

The remaining democratic Western power - the EU, UK, Canada, Japan & Ukraine - need to declare asap that Trump has no mandate to negotiate on behalf of or on Ukraine.
Anything agreed between Putin and Trump in Alaska on Friday must be declared nul & void before that meeting.

Horrifying to see how Trump stabs Ukraine in the back.

EU, the UK, Canada & Japan & Ukraine need to prepare actions to make Trump's possible gifts to Putin ineffective:
No easing of any sanctions on Russia, but a further hardening of them.
Sharp joint public statements.
Fast arming of Ukraine. /4

Trump has already given up any claim on Ukrainian territorial integrity.
He has stopped all US aid to Ukraine & all US complaints about Russia violating international law.
He wants to end Western sanctions on Russia, but the remaining West can block that. /3

Ukraine will be given no seat or voice.
Putin will make no real concessions, possibly limiting warfare where Ukraine has an advantage, which Trump will try to enforce on Ukraine.
Trump is likely to de facto accept Russia's current occupation of Ukrainian territories. /2

Trump is so predictable.
His "threat" of sanctions on Russia was merely an invitation to a one-on-one meeting with Putin & a way to block sanctions on Russia demanded by 85 senators.
Now Trump has set the stage for his selling out of Ukraine behind its back. /1

If Putin meet Trump one-on-one, he will take Trump to the cleaners as he did in Helsinki 2028.
Such a meeting must not happen!
Trump is unable to defend any cause, not even his own facing flatter.
It would be good if the US had a leader & not an idiot.

Tariffs = taxes
Who loves tariffs loves taxes.
Trump calls "tariff" the "most beautiful word in the dictionary" = Trump loves taxes for the poor, not for the very rich.

Once again, we must congratulate Putin on taking Trump to the cleaners.
Putin has made no known concession.
Then Trump had promised severe sanctions by August 8.
But now his servant Trump wants to meet Putin next week.
Is Trump POTUS or just a substandard clown?

Stagflation Is Hitting Russia’s War Economy Anders Åslund identifies several factors that will weigh on growth and continue to drive up prices.

My article today with Project syndicate:
Stagflation Is Hitting Russia’s War Economy
www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/r...

13. The only plausible explanations of this disastrous Trump policy is that he is:
Either completely dumb or senile.
Only thinks of how he and his family can make money.
Or works for China.

12. By cutting almost all foreign aid, the US has abolished all its soft power. In addition, the US has imposed 40% tariffs on many developing countries & wants to tax remittances to poor countries. /10

11. The US has dominated science since 1933, when Hitler cut funding to science & drove out the scientists. Now Trump has cut science funding by about 30%, giving the advantage to China. /9

10. The US has traditionally benefited from a net immigration of about 1% of the labor force each year. A large share (most?) of the US Nobel Prize laureates have been immigrants. Now Trump has stopped all that. /8

8. Very high tariffs always lead to exemptions. The 50% tariff for Brazil has apparently already 700 exemptions for major goods, such as Embraer airplanes.
9. High tariffs plus exemptions normally lead to massive corruption. /7

7. Trump's tariffs are no likely to stabilize but remain volatile. Trump loves tariffs because they give him arbitrary power to instill fear in anybody. The new tariffs are not properly legislated so they are not clear & are changed at any time. /6

6. To the extent that the US still has rule of law, the Trump tariffs should be illegal, but SCOTUS is now a political institution. Taxes should be set by the legislature in any democracy, but now Trump plays them at his pleasure any day. /5