Putin And Trump: The Benefits Of Intelligence And Business Backgrounds

"Thank you so much," said President Vladimir Putin of Russia at the end of the news confterence he gave with President Donald Trump at the end of their summit in Helsinki. It was a rare public use of English by the Russian leader. The remark seemed to be addressed to the assembled reporters, a polite way of telling them that he would not be answering any of the questions they called out to him as he left the podium with this American counterpart.

It might also have been addressed to the man with whom Mr Putin had just shared the spotlight. Try as some reporters might to elicit from Mr Tump criticism of Russian attempts to influence U.S. politics, it was not forthcoming. Instead, Mr Trump insisted, Mr Putin had been, "extremely strong and powerful" in his denial that there had been any interference in the 2016 election campaign.

US President Donald Trump (L) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands before attending a joint press conference after a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018. - The US and Russian leaders opened an historic summit in Helsinki, with Donald Trump promising an 'extraordinary relationship' and Vladimir Putin saying it was high time to thrash out disputes around the world.  (YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/Getty Images)

In the run-up to the summit, many observers pointed out that Mr Putin had been at the summit of Russian politics for eighteen years; Mr Trump at the head of the American political system for eighteen months.

While that is a valid point, there is more to it than that. In fact, the Presidents’ past experience told much about the way they interacted at their joint news conference, and gave clues to the possible nature of their future working relationship.

Mr Putin’s long career in politics - - assuming he serves the full term which began with victory in March’s election, it will be a quarter century since he first became President - - has seen a transformation both inside Russia, and in the country’s standing in the world.

Before he began his political career, he was an intelligence officer. Perhaps the best informed citizens in a society where information was strictly controlled, those in the ranks of the KGB positioned themselves well for the change that they saw was coming. Some joined the new elite, others formed the security teams who guarded them.

But while former security agents were among the winners in the new Russia, Russia was losing prestige and position on the world stage. Much of Mr Putin’s political career has been about restoring that lost sense of pride.

Russia's successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup this summer has been a public relations triumph. Well organized and welcoming to fans -- some of whom, arriving in Russia, were wary of a country whose reputation has suffered in recent years -- it did much for Russia's international image. Mr Putin knows this, and, by making a gift of a soccer ball to Mr Trump at their joint news conference, made sure everyone watching got the message.

HELSINKI, FINLAND - JULY 16: Russian President Vladimir Putin hands U.S. President Donald Trump (L) a World Cup football during a joint press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland. The two leaders met one-on-one and discussed a range of issues including the 2016 U.S Election collusion. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Both Presidents -- as they usually do -- handled the media confidently and competently. Reporters -- those from the United States rather more than those from Russia -- tried to press the Presidents on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election campaign, and whether Russia held, as has been previously suggested, any compromising material on Mr Trump.

Mr Putin made reference to his own past when dismissing the latter idea, "I was an intelligence officer myself and know how these dossiers are put together."

It is a past which has left him with considerable transferable skills. While Mr Trump's success in business, and TV, has left him with skills he can draw on as president, his Russian counterpart showed in Helsinki his superior experience at the top level of global politics.

Those who have done business of any kind successfully in Russia tend to have learned something of the country, its history, and culture. That kind of insight is especially valuable in diplomatic negotiation.

At the end of the news conference, Mr Putin admitted that he had wanted Mr Trump to win the 2016 Presidential election. Perhaps so -- but it was he who emerged the winner in Helsinki, and may have set the tone for future meetings between the two men.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesrodgerseurope/2018/07/17/putin-and-trump-the-benefits-of-intelligence-and-business-backgrounds/