The Economist: “The puzzle of Mr Trump’s admiration for Mr Putin may have been better addressed by psychologists. Certainly Mr Putin, the seasoned KGB operative, has known how to play to his vulnerabilities, including vanity. Mr Trump was said to be ‘clearly touched’ by a kitschy portrait of himself Mr Putin gave him in March.”

“Yet that patronizing speculation may be unfair to Mr Trump, too. It certainly understates the hazard. He has weighty reasons to identify with Mr Putin. Since the 1930s a cornerstone of American foreign policy has been that no country can gain territory by force, a principle also enshrined in the charter of the United Nations. Yet in his first term, in pursuit of his vision of Middle East peace, Mr Trump twice granted American recognition of conquered territory, for Israel’s claim to the Golan Heights and Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara. He appears to envisage an end to the war in Ukraine that would also award Russia new territory.”

“This is how ‘savvy’ people like Mr Trump and Mr Putin believe the world actually works, or ought to: not according to rules confected by stripy-pants diplomats to preserve an international order, but in deference to power exercised by great men. A world hostage to that theory may be the legacy of their true collusion.”

The Economist: “When Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin in Alaska it will be the seventh time the two have talked in person. This time is different, though. Since their last sit-down, Mr Putin has launched an unprovoked war, lost perhaps a million Russian soldiers (dead and wounded) and inflicted ceaseless misery on Ukrainians in pursuit of an imperial dream.”

“Undaunted, Mr Trump hopes to get in a room with a wily dictator, feel him out and forge a deal. It is the biggest test yet of his uniquely personal style of diplomacy. It is also a reminder of how unpredictable American foreign policy has become.”

“President Donald Trump called Norway’s finance minister last month to discuss tariffs, he also told him he wanted the Nobel Peace Prize,” Reuters reports.

From a local newspaper report: “Out of the blue, while Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg was walking down the street in Oslo, Donald Trump called. He wanted the Nobel Prize — and to discuss tariffs.”

Washington Post: “If this meeting is just to set the table for another meeting, that raises the question: Why go through all the heartburn and scare European allies with a bilateral summit with Putin? Couldn’t this meeting have been an email?”

“We’re not walking out of there with a deal.”

— A White House official, quoted by Politico, downplaying expectations for today’s summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.