When Donald Met Vladimir: The Transcript

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/opinion/trump-putin-meeting-transcript.html

When Donald Met Vladimir: The Transcript
Guidance from a like-minded leader.
By Bret Stephens
July 20, 2018

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin conferred privately in Helsinki, Finland, on Monday, with only interpreters present. Since then, speculation has been rife about the content of their discussion. The New York Times has obtained a transcript of the conversation, published below.

President Trump: Your Excellency.

President Putin: Donald.

President Trump: I’ve got to be honest with you, Vladimir, if you don’t mind, I really could use some good news out of our meeting today. I’m getting absolutely killed for sticking it to Theresa May in England the other day.

President Putin: Not like Alexander Litvinenko and Dawn Sturgess were absolutely killed, Donald. You may put your mind at rest. We consider your visit in Europe to be a great success.

President Trump: Glad you think so. Sorry if I was a little rough on Angela about all the money Germany is going to give Russia through that Nord Stream gas pipeline of yours.

President Putin: On the contrary, this was an extremely clever ploy, which impressed us greatly. We were concerned by anti-Gazprom — excuse me, anti-Russia — sentiment in Germany recently. But when you of all people criticize the pipeline, you force Berlin to support it is as a matter of national pride and principle! This is the essence of tradecraft: to convince those whom you seek to manipulate that they are thinking and acting for themselves.

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[Brother Buzz]

1. Oh boy, a senior moment for me....suddenly it was 1968 and I was reading Art Hoppe

Art Hoppe was a popular columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle for more than 40 years. He was known for satirical and allegorical columns that skewered the self-important. Many columns featured whimsical characters such as expert-in-all-things Homer T. Pettibone and a presidential candidate named Nobody. Occasionally, Hoppe reined in his humor for poignant columns on serious topics, such as "To Root Against Your Country," a noted 1971 column against the Vietnam War. Hoppe began at the Chronicle as a copy boy in 1949 and was promoted to reporter before beginning his own column. At the peak of its popularity, Hoppe's column appeared in the Chronicle five days a week and was syndicated in more than 100 newspapers nationwide. His close friends included fellow columnists Russell Baker and Art Buchwald.