robertreich:

Say you’re Vladimir Putin, and you did a deal with Trump last year. I’m not suggesting there was any such deal, mind you. But if you are Putin and you did do a deal, what would be Trump’s side of it?

1. Trump repudiates NATO. NATO is the biggest thorn in your side – the alliance that both humiliates you and stymies your ambitions in the Baltics and elsewhere. Trump almost delivered on this last week by pointedly not reaffirming Article 5, which states that an attack on one NATO ally is
an attack on all.

2. Trump antagonizes Europe, especially Angela
Merkel. She’s the strongest leader in the West other than Trump, and you’d love to drive a wedge between the U.S. and Germany. Your larger goal is for Europe to no longer depend on the United States, so you can increase Russia’s influence in Europe. Trump has
almost delivered one on this, too. Now Merkel even says Europe can no longer depend
on America.

3. Trump rejects the
Paris accord on the environment. This will anger America’s other allies
around the world and produce a wave of anti-Americanism – all to your advantage. Nothing would satisfy you more than isolating the United States. Seems like
Trump is about to deliver on this one, too.

4. Trump embarks on a
new era of protectionism. Or at least anti-trade rhetoric. This will threaten the West’s economic interdependence, and loosen America’s economic grip on the rest of the world. Trump is on the way to
delivering on this one.

5. Trump ends the economic sanctions on
Russia imposed after the annexation of Crimea and Russian backing
of separatists in eastern Ukraine. No delivery on this as yet, but you understand
why. Trump has got to deal with all the suspicion in the U.S. over the deal he made with
you to win him the presidency. Once that dies down, he’ll end the
sanctions.

And what was your side of the deal, Vlad? Not only would
you help him win the presidency, but you’d shut up about it so he
wouldn’t be impeached and then convicted of treason.

In other words, if you did do a deal, Trump is still in the process of delivering on his side of it, as are you. That’s the art of the deal.