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Helsinki Summit marks first official meeting between Presidents Trump & Putin. Could the US benefit from having Russia as an ally?

Jul 16, 2018

2 min

Craig Albert, PhD

Today, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met at the presidential palace in Helsinki to discuss the relationship between their respective countries.


Prior to the meeting, Trump cited national security concerns and trade as agenda items. Since the start of the meeting, the two presidents have also discussed the tension between the two countries and accused election meddling.


At Augusta University, our experts have been following the historic meeting, and made the following observations:


• Trump is correct in asserting the importance of having Russia as an ally.


• The US is currently facing Russian cyberaggression, so how Trump addresses this issue has immediate concerns.


• US posture in Syria is at stake.


• It is important to keep this meeting in the context of “America First.” Trump will push messages at the summit that fall in line with his national security interests.


What are the implications of this summit for every-day Americans?


Will this meeting improve the relationship between the United States and Russia?


How will this meeting effect the United States’ relationship with other European allies?


There are a lot of questions to answer – and that’s where our experts can help.


Dr. Craig Albert is an expert on American politics and political philosophy. He was recently appointed director of Augusta University’s new Masters of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies. Dr. Albert has experience with all forms of national and local news organizations and is available to speak to media regarding the Helsinki Summit. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.


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Craig Albert, PhD

Craig Albert, PhD

Graduate Director, PhD in Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity Policy and Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies

Dr. Craig Albert focuses on propaganda, information warfare, national security studies, cyberconflict, and political thought.

Political PhilosophyEthnic ConflictInfluence OperationsCybersecurity Policy & StrategyInternational Security Studies
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