Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
NYT: "Trump Says He's Going to Alaska to See What Putin 'Has in Mind'" [View all]
No, he didn’t. He said quite clearly, at least twice, that he was going to Russia. It was a slip up, but why don’t we quote him rather than “quote” him?
Trump Says He’s Going to Alaska to See What Putin ‘Has in Mind’
President Trump set a low bar for his summit with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, saying he was ready to walk away if no deal was forthcoming.
President Trump’s description of his goals for the negotiation, the most high-stakes international meeting yet in his second term, were telling — as much for what he omitted as for what he included. Doug Mills/The New York Times
By David E. Sanger
David E. Sanger has covered five American presidents and writes often on the changing nature of competition among the great powers, the subject of his latest book.
Published Aug. 11, 2025
Updated Aug. 12, 2025, 4:06 a.m. ET
President Trump set the lowest possible bar for his meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Friday, declaring that “probably in the first two minutes I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can get done,” and insisting he was ready to walk away from the talks and let the two sides continue to fight it out.
In a rambling news conference, Mr. Trump reiterated that he planned to negotiate what he called “land swaps” and batted away the statements over the weekend by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, that his country’s Constitution prohibited him from giving away land to an invader.
In describing the meeting, Mr. Trump told reporters that “I’m going to Russia on Friday,” and repeated a version of the same statement several minutes later. In fact, the meeting is set to take place in Alaska, which has not been part of Russia since 1867, when it was sold to the United States for $7.2 million.
“I’m going to see what he has in mind,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Putin, whom he has talked to over secure lines at least five times since he took office in January. He said he would judge “if it’s a fair deal.”
{snip}
David E. Sanger covers the Trump administration and a range of national security issues. He has been a Times journalist for more than four decades and has written four books on foreign policy and national security challenges.
A version of this article appears in print on Aug. 12, 2025, Section A, Page 8 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump Says He’s Going to Alaska to See What Putin ‘Has in Mind’. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
President Trump set a low bar for his summit with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, saying he was ready to walk away if no deal was forthcoming.
President Trump’s description of his goals for the negotiation, the most high-stakes international meeting yet in his second term, were telling — as much for what he omitted as for what he included. Doug Mills/The New York Times
By David E. Sanger
David E. Sanger has covered five American presidents and writes often on the changing nature of competition among the great powers, the subject of his latest book.
Published Aug. 11, 2025
Updated Aug. 12, 2025, 4:06 a.m. ET
President Trump set the lowest possible bar for his meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Friday, declaring that “probably in the first two minutes I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can get done,” and insisting he was ready to walk away from the talks and let the two sides continue to fight it out.
In a rambling news conference, Mr. Trump reiterated that he planned to negotiate what he called “land swaps” and batted away the statements over the weekend by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, that his country’s Constitution prohibited him from giving away land to an invader.
In describing the meeting, Mr. Trump told reporters that “I’m going to Russia on Friday,” and repeated a version of the same statement several minutes later. In fact, the meeting is set to take place in Alaska, which has not been part of Russia since 1867, when it was sold to the United States for $7.2 million.
“I’m going to see what he has in mind,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Putin, whom he has talked to over secure lines at least five times since he took office in January. He said he would judge “if it’s a fair deal.”
{snip}
David E. Sanger covers the Trump administration and a range of national security issues. He has been a Times journalist for more than four decades and has written four books on foreign policy and national security challenges.
A version of this article appears in print on Aug. 12, 2025, Section A, Page 8 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump Says He’s Going to Alaska to See What Putin ‘Has in Mind’. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
14 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read