Trump's Upcoming Alaska Summit with Putin: Lessons from a Past Encounter

Donald Trump, who often touts himself as an unmatched negotiator, may approach his upcoming meeting in Alaska with Vladimir Putin feeling confident. However, a lesson from Robert Kraft, the New England Patriots owner, could offer valuable insight ahead of the talks.

During a 2005 visit to Russia alongside American business leaders, Kraft, encouraged by then-Citigroup chairman Sandy Weill, showed Putin one of his prized $25,000 Super Bowl rings.

Kraft later recalled that Putin put the ring on and remarked, “I can kill someone with this ring.” As Kraft extended his hand to retrieve it, Putin pocketed the ring while surrounded by three K.G.B. agents who then escorted him out. Kraft was advised by U.S. officials to claim the ring had been a gift, although Putin mocked the complaint and dismissed the ring as inexpensive.

Putin’s trajectory from petty theft to large-scale corruption is well documented—from alleged theft of Western technology as a K.G.B. operative in East Germany, to suspected corrupt dealings as a deputy mayor in St. Petersburg during the 1990s, to orchestrating election interference domestically and abroad, exploiting Russia’s economy, and annexing territories in Georgia and Ukraine.

These actions reflect not strategic statecraft but rather systematic plunder, embodying the core of Putin’s approach and perhaps shedding light on the enduring admiration Trump has expressed for him.

Trump will likely seek to avoid repeating his 2018 Helsinki summit missteps, where he accepted Putin’s denials of Russian election interference and drew widespread criticism. He may also be mindful of the diplomatic embarrassments faced by predecessors, such as George W. Bush’s misplaced trust in Putin’s sincerity or Barack Obama’s candid remarks to Putin’s associates about post-election flexibility.