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Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 195

Shake Up

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 195: Shake Up

Putin Gets His Ideal Summit

August 10, 2025 · 7:01 am ET · Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Despite previous refusals by Russian officials to negotiate over territory in the Russia-Ukraine war, the Russian leader, during a meeting at the Kremlin last week, left Mr. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, with the impression that Russia was now willing to engage in some deal-making on the question of land.”

Said Trump: “We’re going to get some back, and we’re going to get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.”

“By speaking a language Mr. Trump understands — the language of real estate — Mr. Putin secured something he had been seeking ever since January: a one-on-one meeting with the U.S. leader, without Mr. Zelensky present, to make his case and cut a deal.”

CNN: Trump-Putin summit in Alaska resembles a slow defeat for Ukraine.

Bloomberg: Zelensky rejects ceding land as Europe backs Ukraine.

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Taegan Goddard

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Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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