Can the U.S. Stand Up to Putin? - The Cipher Brief

This expert perspective analyzes the critical stakes surrounding the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting and its potential global implications for the free world's future.

The article examines how the world has dramatically changed since the 2018 Helsinki Summit, with Europe now experiencing its largest military conflict since 1945. The author warns that Putin's recent diplomatic gains, including his successful manipulation of Trump's negotiator Steve Witkoff, have positioned him strategically for the Alaska meeting. The piece draws historical parallels to pivotal conferences like Munich 1938, Yalta 1945, and Casablanca 1943 to illustrate potential outcomes.

• Putin enters negotiations from a perceived position of strength despite strategic setbacks including Assad's fall and weakened Iranian proxies
• The meeting's outcome could determine whether authoritarianism advances globally or faces decisive pushback from democratic allies
• Trump faces pressure to abandon previous conciliatory approaches and deliver firm consequences for Russian aggression in Ukraine
• The author argues that anything less than forcing Putin's complete withdrawal will embolden the "Axis of Resistance" coalition globally