The city was sweating under a blanket of August heat, the kind that makes a man’s collar feel like a noose. The world’s eyes were glued to the headlines: Trump and Putin, together again, this time with the fate of Ukraine and a battered West dangling between them like a cheap watch, on a pawnshop chain. “Summit,” they called it. I called it a setup.
I’ve seen this movie before. The marquee changes, but the plot’s always the same—strongman meets showman, and the only thing left standing is the shadow on the wall. The newsboys at CNN are ringing the bell: “What are the risks? What mistakes will repeat?” They might as well ask if the sun will rise tomorrow, or if a grifter will take the mark for a ride.
Let’s lay out the clues, piece by piece, like a deck of cards on a greasy bar.
Clue #1: The Old Playbook.
Trump’s got a history with Putin, and it’s not the kind you frame on the wall. Helsinki, 2018—the world watched as Trump took Putin’s word over his own intelligence, blinking in the spotlight like a deer on the highway. The strongman smiled, the showman shrugged, and the world wondered who was running the table. Spoiler: it wasn’t the guy with the red tie.
Clue #2: The “Deal” That’s No Deal.
Now, with Ukraine’s fate on the block, Trump’s promising he can end the war “in 24 hours.” That’s not a deal, that’s a fire sale. You don’t need to be a gumshoe to see what’s coming: Putin wants a free hand, and Trump’s the kind of guy who thinks giving away the store is just good business—as long as he gets his name on the sign.
Clue #3: The Art of the Surrender.
Every time Trump talks tough, Putin talks tougher. The Russian’s got patience, ice in his veins, and a file on every mark in the room. Trump’s got bluster and a taste for the spotlight. When the cameras roll, Putin’s already picked his pocket. The last summit ended with Trump looking like he’d lost his lunch money and was thanking the bully for the lesson.
Clue #4: The Western Weakness.
The West is tired, divided, and hungry for an easy answer. Putin knows it. Trump knows it. That’s why every handshake, every photo op, is another inch of red carpet rolled out for Moscow. The “America First” crowd thinks they’re playing chess, but Putin’s already stolen the board.
The Mystery—Will Putin Walk All Over Trump?
Let’s not kid ourselves. The real mystery isn’t if Putin will walk all over Trump—it’s how many footprints he’ll leave. The clues are all there: the history, the ego, the promises of “deals” that only benefit the man in the Kremlin. Trump wants the cameras, the headlines, the chance to play peacemaker. Putin wants Ukraine, a fractured West, and a legacy built on the bones of his rivals.
The Solution.
So here’s the answer, straight and sharp: Yes, Putin will walk all over Trump. He’s done it before, he’ll do it again, and this time the stakes are higher than ever. The only thing left to solve is how long it’ll take the world to realize the rug’s been pulled out from under them.
In this city, the shadows are long and the memories are short. But Jack Hammer never forgets a con. And this one’s got Moscow written all over it.
—Jack Hammer
