Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- June 22, 2018

US President Donald Trump chats with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as they attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Danang, Vietnam, on November 11, 2017. Photo: AFP / Sputnik/ Mikhail Klimentyev

M.K. Bhadrakumar, Asia Times: Trump riding high and set to roll the dice for a summit with Putin

With the US leader at perhaps his strongest point so far, an announcement is expected soon on a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which could be held in the middle of July after the NATO summit

If the Trump White House had let it be known a couple of months ago that it was working with the Kremlin to schedule a summit meeting between the two presidents, all hell would have broken loose in the Washington Beltway. But that isn’t happening. There is an eerie calm in Washington, as if Trump’s detractors have run out of ammunition.

What explains it? First, the fizz seems to have gone out of the Russia collusion theory. Robert Mueller could keep uncovering crimes in American public life (of which there is no dearth) forever but he has not been able to say he has actually substantiated the Russia collusion theory. The latest Pew Research Center analysis on June 20 reveals that only 28% Americans remain any longer “very confident” of the fairness of Mueller’s investigation, while four-in-10 say they are not too sure (19%) or are at all confident (21%) in his ability to do this.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- June 22, 2018

These are the Benefits of a U.S.-Russia Summit -- Matthew Rojansky and Andrey Kortunov, National Interest

All the Times North Korea Promised to Denuclearize -- Brian Barrett, Wire

Former US chief spook does U-turn on denuclearization -- Andrew Salman, Asia Times

Why the Left Overlooks the Trump-Kim Summit Positives -- Ted Galen Carpenter, National Interest

It Looks like Afghanistan and the Taliban May Try to End to 17 Years of War -- Atta Nasib, National Interest

In southern Syria, the US faces a Russia-Israel challenge -- Joe Macaron, Al Jazeera

Will Erdoğan Cheat His Way to Victory? -- Borzou Daragahi, The Atlantic

Turkish economy facing major challenges -- Hardy Graupner (with Reuters)/DW

Potential EU-Albania asylum deal could help keep Germany's Angela Merkel in power -- Adelheid Feilcke & Volker Wagener, DW

Greece 'turning a page' as eurozone agrees deal to end financial crisis -- Jon Henley, Daniel Boffey in Brussels, and Helena Smith in Athens, The Guardian

NATO’s Enemies Within: How Democratic Decline Could Destroy the Alliance -- Celeste A. Wallander, Foreign Affairs

US trade with the EU, Germany in numbers -- David Martin, DW

Many Brazilians look to military amid anger at politicians. -- Peter Prengaman and Marcelo Silva De Sousa, AP

Before You Help a Fragile State’s Military, Ask These Uncomfortable Questions -- Mara E. Karlin, Defense One

How Do You Know When It's Officially a Trade War? -- Yasmeen Serhan, The Atlantic