Donald Trump is acting like a Russian agent, working to promote Putin agenda
Donald Trump has done more damage during this trip than many expected, says diplomatic editor Dominic Waghorn.
Monday 16 July 2018 23:58, UK
The world we have known for decades is coming apart at the seams, disintegrating before our eyes.
Never before have we seen an American president begin a summit with his Russian counterpart by blaming his own country - the US - for the nadir in relations between the two nations.
And never have we seen a US president end one looking so under the spell of the same leader - a leader who has worked so hard to weaken the alliances and structures that have kept the west prosperous and secure for decades.
If Donald Trump is not a Russian agent he has certainly acted like one in the past week, working to promote the same Putin agenda.
He barrelled through Europe striking at the weak points of the EU and undermining the unity and credibility of NATO and the European Union, before coming to Britain and giving a hefty shove to its prime minister already teetering on the edge.
His posture was assertive, at times aggressive when he was among America's closest allies.
Standing next to Russia's leader he was docile. He seemed under the former KGB's spymaster's spell, tamed and pacified.
It was a remarkable transformation.
His refusal to criticise a man for any of the long list of malign activities Russia has perpetrated on its allies is all the more worrying because of the damage Trump has himself done to them in the past week.
If that sounds over the top, read what Germany's foreign minister tweeted earlier...
"We can no longer rely on the White House unconditionally," wrote Heiko Maas.
"Europe cannot stand by while something that has been built up over the course of decades is wilfully damaged."
The same sentiments are shared, if not in public, across European capitals.
But Europeans and Americans seem caught in the headlights.
In the US there is disquiet among some Republicans but nothing that challenges Trump. Democrats are powerless to stop him.
Europeans have their own problems. The UK is impaled on the horns of its Brexit dilemma, Angela Merkel is struggling to reassert control of her coalition, Italy is in the grip of populists.
Emmanuel Macron seems most adept at handling Donald Trump but with little to show for his efforts.
We are learning not to underestimate this president.
He has done more damage in this trip than many expected. He and Vladimir Putin may have plenty more surprises in store.