Our Conclusions

If you wonder why Trump never criticizes Putin, often actually praises Putin and trusts Putin more than he trusts Americans with long and stellar reputations in law enforcement and in defending our country, I think I have provided a plausible answer.

Trump made a deal with Putin for a 12 billion dollar bribe for the lifting of the 2014 sanctions Obama imposed on certain individuals and entities (including Rosneft by name) in Russia. Trump’s deal has not been consummated and has been made more difficult to consummate by the sanctions imposed by Obama after the election on December 29, 2016 and by the sanctions adopted by Congress in early August 2017.

Trump has been unable to lift the Obama sanctions and couldn’t prevent the adoption of the new Congressional  sanctions legislation. But Trump has 12 billion reasons to keep trying. And he will until he is stopped.