Dispatches from Helsinki

Posted: July 15th, 2018

By Daniel Hoffman

Hoffman served as a three-time station chief and a senior executive clandestine service officer with assignments included tours of duty in the former Soviet Union, Europe, and war zones in the Middle East and South Asia. Hoffman also served as director of the CIA's Middle East and North Africa Division. He is currently a national security analyst with Fox News.

Cipher Brief Expert and former CIA Station Chief Dan Hoffman is on the ground in Helsinki filing question and answer dispatches for Cipher Brief members. He has deep expertise in the region and speaks fluent Finnish. Here’s a look at his first dispatch, hours before the summit is set to get underway:

The Cipher Brief – There seems to be a lack of specifics from the White House in terms of what exactly will be discussed between the Presidents in a few hours’ time. Having studied the Russia relationship and having an in-depth knowledge of the national security issues at play, what are the issues that you think would be crucial for the President to raise? And how would be best address each of them?

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