Dispatches from Helsinki: A Shocking Summit Press Brief

Posted: July 17th, 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 was in Helsinki filing question and answer dispatches for Cipher Brief members. Here’s a look at his post-summit brief:

The Cipher Brief: Presidents Trump and Putin met for a little over two hours on Monday. We’re told that aides were not allowed in the room, and President Trump came out praising the Russian leader, much to the dismay of those – both Democrats and Republicans – had expected him to press the Russian leader on a number of critical national security issues. That obviously didn’t happen. What was your initial reaction?

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