1. Russia is not your friend
  2. Russia was never your friend
  3. You can’t make Russia to become your friend
  4. Go back to Commandment #1
  5. Leave your ego at home – one-on-one, the Russian guy is probably stronger
  6. Any important Russian official, government or otherwise, should be assumed to either be intelligence or have a connection to intelligence
  7. Russian officials are not trustworthy – “Trust but Verify” was only good for Gorbachev, for the rest of them it should be “Enforce and Verify”
  8. Russian officials do not play by the rules, even those they themselves concocted
  9. Avoid unofficial off the record meetings like the bubonic plague
  10. Go back to Commandment #1

1 Comment

  1. Jack, I was intrigued by a comment you made on Charlie Rose’ show, when he asked you about Trump’s chances in his meeting with Putin. You replied that Trump would be upstaged, because Putin was a past master at psychological manipulation.

    I was fascinated as I perceived a sort of mano a mano gladitorial exchange in which an entire nation’s “brand” could be subjected to a rise or fall depending on the degree of political acumen exhibited by its’ politician on the world stage.

    Do you ultimately believe that these meetings make a lasting impression and have a long term impact on the political fate of the countries involved, apart from simply being a staged exchange between dignitaries?

    thanks for any insights you may have

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