Neither am I, but I respect him as a chess player with the Euro-Asian land mass as his chess board. I think, however, he is finding in Trump someone who knows how to play political chess at his level. Putin is going to act in Russia's best interests, and Trump is going to act in America's best interests, and the two men are going to respect each other's abilities, whether they find themselves on the same side or opposite sides in any given issue.
And I hope the same is true of Trump and Xi. It will not make for perfect peace (that only comes with the 1000-year reign of Christ and beyond), but it will make for a world where a tripartite balance of power keeps the flare-ups minimal.
Plus one more thing. Putin and Xi may not mind dictators, being dictatorial themselves, but Trump, Putin, and Xi have one enemy in common, the jihadists. Coming together as allies against the Axis of Islamism could set back the cause of Mohammed for a hundred years, and that is something greatly to be desired.
What a great post!!!
Yes, this needs to be done. We cannot afford to lose Russia and China as common allies vs Islam. We cannot do it alone. So be it if the new order is USA, Russia and China. The alternative is ugly. Islam and the proliferation of WMDs will come home to roost one day in America if we do not get our act together. By no means do the rich cultures of the three countries need to be polluted by the stench and infection of Islam. I have had it with their 7th century death cult and barbarism. This is why the attack on Assad was stupid.
Excellent summation and posit, chajin!