Now it's going to be the Trump/Putin show

He has ticked off Kim Jong-un on his summit list, now it's the turn of Vladimir Putin. There was never any doubt that Trump would want to have a summit with Putin, never mind what Robert Mueller, special counsel, is trying to do. Most other governments in the free world believe Putin doesn't deserve to be treated as an equal after he sent in troops to annexe Crimea and then deployed thousands of Russian military disguised as mercenaries into eastern Ukraine. But Trump thinks it's crazy not to talk to Putin, and if the proposed meeting before or soon after the Nato summit in Brussels on July 11-12 alarms his European allies, he won't mind. I think I have said it before, I personally think it makes sense for Trump and Putin to see each other. It's a helluva lot better than shouting at each other from the rooftops. If Trump can sit down with Kim Jong-un, he can certainly do likewise with Putin. So, get on with the preparations and let's see what happens. That charming anti-Russian hawk, John Bolton, is off to Moscow to start preparing the summit which should be fun. Bolton will have to swallow his pride and try and smile to the Russians. He and Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister, should make interesting bedfellows. But that's diplomacy for you. Sometimes you have to be nice to people you loath. Trump, of course, doesn't loath Putin. He likes him and they'll have a terrific summit, probably in Vienna, with lots of pledges of a new friendship and joint commitments to make the world a better place. It's a shame Trump doesn't drink alcohol, because he won't be able to join in when the Russians bring out the vodka. So Trump has a busy calendar next month. The Nato summit when he will have to try not to shout at everyone as he did at the G7 summit in Quebec, tea with the Queen of England when he will have to mind his p's and q's and remember not to put his hand on her back, and his get-together with Putin. He'll be relieved to get back to his place in Mar-a-Lago in Florida.