administration to bat that back. and the president didn t bat it back. vladimir putin never would have made the proposal to barack obama or bill clinton or george w. bush. he would know that they would have turned him down flat. i think vladimir putin felt that he was in command. i don t know what was going through his mind other than donald trump is not going to be a real problem for me. while his attack on the american election mon opized the summit s press conference, vladimir putin seemed unfazed. he strolled out of helsinki as the world s premier alpha male, unbothered by evidence or inquiry. and so far, unrebuked by president trump. vladimir putin knew in order to ensure the success of the russian nation state he d have to have someone in the white house who would deforemoscow. that s exactly what vladimir putin has gotten in donald trump. he got what he wanted. and he was never held fully to