The Puppet Show in Alaska: How Putin Played Trump Like a Fiddle

This wasn’t diplomacy. It was a surrender wrapped in optics.

The Puppet Show in Alaska: How Putin Played Trump Like a Fiddle

This wasn’t diplomacy. It was a surrender wrapped in optics.

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #491: Saturday, August 16th, 2025.

This is a follow-up to yesterday’s JHN issue on the meeting between Trump and Putin. There’s another important perspective on this that I want to examine.

You saw it yesterday: Trump rolls out the red carpet in Alaska. A military fanfare. A ride in the “Beast.” Cameras clicking. But make no mistake…this wasn’t diplomacy. This was a puppet show…with Putin as the puppeteer.

What we witnessed wasn't a reset…it was reinforcement. And if you're asking whether Putin stands to benefit from America's slide…well, the events of yesterday didn’t just hint at it; they broadcast it.

1. The Alignment Speaks Louder Than Any Press Release

Here’s the real story…the political equivalent of two minds meeting at the top of a mountain:

Ceasefire? Gone.

Trump walked into Alaska demanding a ceasefire. He walked out echoing Kremlin “peace” terms: terms that demand Ukraine give up Donbas. That shift is more than radical. It’s Kremlin choreography.

Putin’s PR Power Play.

No deal signed…yet Putin leaves with headlines announcing his return to global relevance. Trump looked more like a co‑host than a negotiator…Putin’s status elevated without lifting a finger.

Rhetoric That Mirrors Moscow’s Talking Points.

Post‑summit…Trump urged Zelenskyy to “make a deal,” bluntly stating: "Russia is a very big power, and they're not." That’s not strategic talk…that’s Kremlin echo.

The net result? You want evidence that Trump’s economic and diplomatic shifts could be buttering Putin’s bread? Look straight at this summit.

2. History Doesn’t Lie…The Kremlins’ Handbook on Influence

Let’s pull the string all the way back:

Cultivation Goes Deep.

The Steele dossier…and subsequent intelligence probes…reveal a long‑game cultivation strategy by the Kremlin. Not recruitment as spies…but as assets…leverage…and influence.

Some say, “Trump was planted,” others say “Trump gravitated there.” But cultivation… nonetheless.

Policy Convergence Is No Coincidence.

Past patterns…such as skewed NATO posture…softening on Crimea…lifting sanctions…echo Russia’s preferred playbook. Now add to that the Alaska turnaround…and the alignment looks more than friendly…it looks transactional.

Intel Community Wasn’t Quiet.

After Helsinki…top intel figures warned Trump was either working for Putin…or being used. They labeled him: “useful idiot,” “in Putin’s pocket.” That wasn’t hyperbole. That was alarm.

All that history didn’t vanish yesterday. It crystallized.

3. Why Putin’s Victory Is Trump’s Defeat

Here’s a breakdown, Hopkins-style…raw and unfiltered:

Global Reset for Putin.

He arrives in America amid sanctions and global isolation…and leaves with a standing ovation…legitimacy…and a free hand to continue his war. That’s not negotiation. That's clear victory.

Diminished U.S. Leverage.

Trump moved from “ceasefire or else” to “peace terms that favor Russia,” without buying a single concession from Putin. That tilts the playing field…and every consequent economic and geopolitical tilt is Putin’s gain.

A Broader Playbook.

Economy weakens…alliances falter…Ukraine tokenizes…everything serves Moscow’s two goals: dominance over Ukraine and the erosion of unified Western resistance.

Instability as Advantage.

A rickety U.S. permits Putin to meddle…gambit…and expand with less fear. Destabilize your adversary’s confidence…and you change the world order.

No, there's still no smoking gun labeled “Putin wrote the talking points.” But alignment is often more potent than admission.

4. The American Cost

Let’s talk about what this means on the ground:

Markets get nervous.

Investors see instability and push capital outward. When Washington appears pliable…risk goes up.

Allies lose trust.

NATO partners see the U.S. not as a bridge…but a revolving door…with Russia walking right in.

Ukraine pays the price.

Kyiv didn't get a ceasefire. Instead…the U.S. signaled deference. That sends a chilling message to democratic partners everywhere.

Domestic echo chamber.

At home…CNN covers "great summit," while actual stakes are global power shifts.

When U.S. leadership looks hollow…the world repositions itself. Putin? He didn't just reposition…he advanced.

5. What If We Call It What It Is?

Here’s the turnaround strategy:

• Call this what it is: a geopolitical bait-and-switch.

• Demand transparency. Show us what was said off the record…what press was withheld…and what shadow deals were proposed.

• Rally allies back. Send a message: our alignments must return to principle and resilience…not pageantry and pandering.

• Elevate Ukraine…not sidelined it.

• Let the American people hear the unvarnished truth.

The Summit Is Not the End…It’s the Alarm Clock

If yesterday’s play felt like déjà vu…that’s because it is.

Putin’s win was sewn into the seams of that summit long before either leader touched the red carpet. But we’re not spectators. We’re citizens. We’re still the story’s authors…if we choose to be.

So here’s the fire at the finish: Don’t let this day be remembered as a retreat. Let it be known as the day we woke the hell up.

Because if we don’t…what happened yesterday won’t just define foreign policy…it will define the decline. And I refuse to believe that’ll be their epilogue…not on my watch… not on our watch.

Stay alert. Keep preparing your mind. It’s the most critical preparation you can do.

I’ll be back soon…with…more.

Warmly,

-Jack