The Crisis Room Who is playing who? Trump, Putin, and the Alaska ‘Peace Summit’
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Aug 14, 2025 Fiona Hill, a former Russia advisor to Donald Trump, shares her insights on the upcoming Alaska summit between Trump and Putin. She explains how Putin might manipulate the situation to his advantage, particularly regarding Ukraine. The discussion includes the unpredictable nature of past summits and the psychological tactics at play in high-stakes diplomacy. They also delve into the media's role in shaping diplomatic narratives and contrast the safety perceptions in Washington D.C. with those in war zones like Baghdad.
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Summit Born From Misunderstanding
- The Alaska summit appears to exist because of a diplomatic misunderstanding, not a prepared bargain.
- That makes it unusually risky and largely for summit's sake rather than a negotiated breakthrough.
Do Thorough Prebriefing Before Summits
- Prepare presidents with months of staff work, intelligence briefs, and murder‑board rehearsals.
- Don’t enter a one‑on‑one without agreed position papers and high‑quality briefers in place.
Photo Logistics Became A Major Priority
- Amber recalled intense protocol planning at the 2015 Paris climate summit to avoid awkward leader interactions during the family photo.
- Diplomats micromanaged leader movements to avert potentially explosive moments.