Trump and Putin’s changing relationship to take the center of the stage in Alaska

In his first term, President Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin de Russia six times, but a moment stood out.

It happened in Helsinki, Finland, in 2018 when Trump, standing next to him, suggested that he believed Putin’s denial that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections on the findings of American intelligence.

At that time, Trump said the relations between the United States and Russia “had never been worse” that before they met, but that had “changed.”

Now, Trump is ready to celebrate his first individual meeting with Putin of his second term at the ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON JOINT BASE IN ANCHROGE, ALASKA.

The backdrop of the very anticipated Friday summit is a darker, in the middle of the relentless attack of Russia in Ukraine and Putin presenting a frustrating obstacle for Trump’s professed desire to end the war.

The meeting will highlight its relationship, one that Trump said during the 2024 campaign was so strong that the conflict could end on his first day in office or even before.

“It seems that Donald Trump used to think that he understands Putin well and has a good relationship with him, but in recent months we have seen him alter his position in that sense and really more frustrated with Putin. I think he is becoming more moderate in his expectations about what the meeting can contribute,” said Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow of Russia and Eurasia with the strategic and international center.

Trump called Putin a “strong leader” in his first mandate and a “genius” shortly after his forces invaded Ukraine.

At the beginning of his second term, Trump said Putin would be “generous” in peace conversations and that Ukraine is more difficult.

Trump made several public demands of Ukraine, including that he would have to give up his goal of joining NATO and possibly giving some territory, while not establishing such red lines for Russia.

The president even sympathized with the status of Putin as a global Paria, saying in February that “would love” Russia to meet with the group of seven nations and that it was a mistake for Moscow to have been expelled from the company of world leaders after the annexation of Putin’s prime.

“Look, nothing will happen until Putin and I gathered, okay?” Trump said in spring.

In recent months, however, Trump’s tone towards Putin has changed.

“I have always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin de Russia, but something has happened to him. He has become absolutely crazy!” Trump wrote on his social media platform at the end of May.

Trump repeatedly expressed that he is “disappointed” in the Russian president as intensified attacks between Russia and Ukraine this summer.

In July, Trump said he was fed up with “bull, thrown by Putin.” “It’s very nice all the time, but it turns out that it makes no sense,” he said.

“We are not happy with Putin. I am not happy with Putin. I can tell you a lot at this time, because it is killing many people,” Trump added.

Trump has maintained American manufacturing weapons supplied to Ukraine through an agreement with European partners and recently slapped secondary tariffs pronounced on India, one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, in indirect pressure on Moscow.

Even so, Trump contained his threats to impose tougher penalties to August 8 if Putin did not agree with a high fire. On the other hand, on that date, Trump announced that he would receive Russian leader on American soil for an individual meeting.

“He has more than he could do to push Putin to come to the table,” said William Taylor, former American ambassador to Ukraine, currently works as a main member in the Atlantic Council.

Until now, Trump has tempered expectations about Friday’s summit. He called him a “felt meeting” and the White House described him as a “listening exercise.”

At the same time, he warned again this week of “serious consequences” if Russia did not finish the conflict.

“I think Trump believes that the strong men of the Putin species must be negotiated with eye by eye, and wants to feel the ground to see what he gets from the meeting with Putin. The problem with that is Putin is also a cunning manipulator and has the background of KGB, it is known that it is very convincing and makes people like him in person,” Snegovaya said.

John Bolton, former Trump National Security Advisor, said Putin’s goal for this summit is to return to Trump’s good thanks.

“What Putin wants to return, is not so worried about sanctions, wants the relationship to return with Trump. We’ll see if he understands it,” Bolton said in the “this week” of ABC.